Location: Reading, United Kingdom
In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.
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Job title: Director Business Growth Operations (NATO or UK SC clearance)
Location: Reading or London

Would you like to be at the heart of constructing and evolving a value-adding Business Growth* Operations function (BG Ops) that is central to enabling the short and long term growth of the Thales UK business?

As the Director BG Ops you will play an instrumental role in ensuring the functional stewardship of the BG Ops Function, enabling it to deliver value to the business, operate smoothly and to a high professional standard. As an integral part of the BG CODIR you will also be critical in supporting the VP Sales and Account Management in effective organisation of Account Managers, Sales Directors and Communications functions, whist providing the foundation for fully aligned collaboration between Strategy and Sales and Accounts.

The impact of this role is significant, you will be expected to apply up-front strategic, enterprise-wide thinking to create solutions/ways of operation that accelerate sales enablement and performance over a 3 – 5 years horizon. You will be highly visible across key stakeholder groups including TUK Executive Leadership, Corporate and GBU Leadership, Comms, Strategy and Government Affairs. This is an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate your leadership capabilities in a dynamic and stretching environment to deliver demonstrable business results.

Key Dimensions of the Role:
This is a multi-dimensional role, offering a broad range of compelling professional challenges and career development opportunities. Key accountabilities are extensive and include but are not limited to:

• Developing and leading transformation projects and interface to Thales Group transformation- act as the prime interfaces with Thales Group for all Transformation projects for the Business Growth function in the UK. Additionally contribute and shape Group projects that will impact the UK.
  
• Sales and Strategic Account Plan enablement- T360 CRM system and strategic plan orchestration and management (tool set and integrity of management information contained).
  
• Growth Board facilitation and MI (Management Information)- active participation, scheduling and creation/choreography of stakeholder inputs to produce and present key insights and enable strategic decision making.
  
• Monthly Order Intake Review- to lead a team that brings together Management Information and insights from the Thales Toolsets (T360) to enable informed decision making.
  
• Sales Execution Review (SER) / Order Intake Review (OIR) and Multi-year OI budget planning- Facilitation and chairing meetings with and on behalf of the VP Sales and Account Management.
  
• BG Business Operations Review (BOR) and BG Functional Multi-Year Budget (MYB) managing, planning and running the BG Budget of multi-million pounds annually including the choreography of multiple stakeholders across the Corporate and Business Entity Business Growth organisation.
  
• Conferences, Sponsorships & Events- Leading a multi-functional team to deliver exceptional events of behalf of Thales UK (and Group). Including external events (DSEI, Farnborough, RIAT etc) and internal events (Thales UK ELF).
  
• BG Early Careers, Functional Development and Recognition (Sales awards)- lead a team that manages on behalf of the Business Growth team all early careers activities, including talent pipelines and addressing demographic challenges.
  
• Full Management and Leadership of the Business Growth Operations function. The team consists of individual contributors and managers.
  

About You
To be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate the following criteria:

• A successful track record of building respect and trust at all levels and across various functions of a large and complex organisation through personality, good behaviour, values and professionalism.
  
• Demonstrable experience of strategic thinking and planning (a number of steps ahead) to create and propose enterprise wide Business Growth (integrated Sales, Marketing and Communications) solutions.
  
• Demonstrate experience of evolution/transformation projects of Sales operations with successful outcome and a “better than before” function in large complex, matrix organisations.
  
• Critical thinking to asses current ways of working and identify opportunities for improvement as well as creativity to propose enterprise wide solutions that add value.
  
• Demonstrable experience in leading, managing and delivering value adding solutions and strategies including managing complex stakeholder mapping through influence, perseverance and application of trusted change methodologies.
  

This role is open to individuals who currently hold or are able to attain at least an SC level of security clearance.

• ”Business Growth” function/department encompasses Sales & Marketing, Account Management, Strategy, Communications, Public Relations and Research, Technology Science & Innovation.

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In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!