Location: Reading, United Kingdom
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Job title: Strategic Account Director, BAE Systems & Royal Air Force
Location: Flexible with opportunity to be based in either London, Reading or Crawley

Are you seeking a highly strategic account management role that will spearhead the growth of Thales defence business across multiple business lines and global markets?

As the joint BAE Systems Strategic Account Director and Air Key Account Director (BAES SAM and Air KAM), you will play a pivotal role in evolving Thales Group’s business with BAES globally, whilst building a sustained growth position with the Royal Air Force. As SAM for BAES your focus will be to develop and drive a strategy ensuring business between the companies increases globally and sales multi-million yearly can be achieved within the envisioned timeframe. To achieve this requires business creation, capture and focus supported by building strong stakeholder trust through engagements (direct or indirectly) internally and externally with senior stakeholders up to main board level. Concurrently as the Air KAM you will fully leverage the strategic opportunity and capabilities for Thales UK and the Group’s businesses developing and executing the account strategy in close cooperation with Thales businesses ensuring Thales supports the RAF fulfil its ambitions and meet its operational challenges.

What does the role offer you?
This is a generational role which will provide you with the responsibility and accountability for creating significant business of strategic importance impacting Group results, particularly order intake, whilst fully influencing and supporting our key strategic aims through managing effective relationships internally with GBU and country leadership and externally with BAE Systems as a Strategic Account and the UK Mo D customer organisation.

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

• Owning, creating and executing the Strategic Account Plan for BAES and ensuring it is aligned to Thales UK and Group Strategic Initiatives.
  
• Working as one of Thales Group KAM’s to fulfil business objectives and activities for both UK domestic business and export or import initiatives.
  
• Developing an intimate understanding of the inner workings of and building trusting relationships with BAES and RAF seniors and operational officials, including their Governance associated Working Groups and political and non-political partners.
  
• Provision of papers and other strategic artefacts and guidance to senior Thales stakeholders (CEO, COO, VP Sales and Account Management, VP Strategy and Marketing and MD’s as well as BL leads where necessary)
  
• Providing leadership and strategic alignment with other cross Government departments that have Thales capability needs and build trusting relationships with senior Civil Servant and operational officials (4/3*) in cooperation with TUK management, account and sales team.
  
• Holding regular engagement and maintain Thales UK alignment with BAES Stakeholders and RAF Stakeholders and attend relevant meetings that demonstrates Thales delivery against plans.
  

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 of a large and complex global defence organisation through personality, good behaviour, values, professionalism and seniority.
  
• Demonstrable experience of strategic thinking and planning (a number of steps ahead) on complex major capital programmes resulting in identified prospects which have a realistic chance of becoming significant and tangible.
  
• Successful experience and ability to map, understand, navigate and build trust and influence in complex organisations
  
• Delivery of strategic value and enablement of growth demonstrated through tangible annual Order Intake growth (for example Business to Government, Multi-National involved in in capital programmes)
  
• Proven ability to develop and execute Strategic Account Plans that lead to tangible growth, financial and customer satisfaction.
  

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

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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.

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