Senior Project lead

Role overview

Senior Project lead at Thales

Own end-to-end delivery across multiple squads (scope, plan, dependencies, risks, and outcomes).

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop ~20 engineers; set clear expectations and give timely feedback.
• Establish delivery discipline : predictable cadence, transparent reporting, and continuous improvement.
• Champion an AI-first engineering culture ; ensure AI tooling is used safely and effectively.
• Ensure engineering excellence : quality, security, reliability, and operability by design.
• AI-Driven SDLC & Transformation
• Embed our AI-driven SDLC (AI-assisted design, coding, testing, documentation, and release readiness) into day-to-day delivery.
• Drive adoption of AI ways of working (guardrails, playbooks, and training) in partnership with Enablement/Architecture.
• Measure impact and improve (cycle time, defect escape rate, automation coverage, and developer experience) and act on insights.
• Ensure responsible use of AI aligned to security , privacy , and compliance expectations.
• Delivery Execution
• Shape and adjust squads based on roadmap priorities, skills, and capacity.
• Run planning and execution rituals ; manage dependencies and cross-team alignment.
• Remove impediments , manage delivery risk early, and drive predictable releases .
• Use metrics to improve flow efficiency, quality, and operational readiness.
• Stakeholder Partnership
• Partner with Product to clarify scope, acceptance criteria, and success metrics.
• Provide clear delivery commitments , trade-offs, and status— no surprises .
• Align with Architecture/Security/Operations to ensure designs are scalable and compliant.
• People, Talent & Operations
• Hire and retain diverse talent ; build capability plans with explicit AI upskilling .
• Set performance expectations , coach growth, and build a feedback culture aligned to Thales leadership .
• Own capacity and execution tracking ; escalate risks with options.
• Ensure operational excellence (on-call readiness, incident learnings, and continuous improvement).

Required qualifications

• 7+ years in software engineering with 3+ years leading delivery and/or people in multi-team environments.
• Track record delivering cloud-native, distributed and security-sensitive platforms (identity experience a plus).
• Strong delivery management : planning, dependency/risk management, release management, and stakeholder communication.
• Modern SDLC practices (CI/CD, test automation, observability, DevSecOps).
• Proven change leadership : scaling new tools and practices, including AI-assisted development .
• AI fluency : hands-on experience with AI coding/testing/documentation tools and an ability to coach safe, effective adoption .
• Success Looks Like
• Predictable delivery : roadmaps translated into realistic plans and on-time releases with transparent trade-offs.
• AI-driven SDLC adopted across squads with measurable improvements in cycle time , automation coverage , and quality .
• Strong engineering outcomes : security and reliability targets met; reduced incident/defect escape rates.
• High-performing teams : clear expectations, visible growth, and healthy engagement/retention.
• Reporting Line
• This role reports to the Engineering Director.
• At Thales, we’re committed to fostering a workplace where respect, trust, collaboration, and passion drive everything we do.
• Here, you’ll feel empowered to bring your best self, thrive in a supportive culture, and love the work you do.
• Join us, and be part of a team reimagining technology to create solutions that truly make a difference – for a safer, greener, and more inclusive world.

Employment details

• Location: Noida, India
• Thales is a global technology leader trusted by governments, institutions, and enterprises to tackle their most demanding challenges.
• From quantum applications and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity and 6G innovation, our solutions empower critical decisions rooted in human intelligence.
• Operating at the forefront of aerospace and space, cybersecurity and digital identity, we’re driven by a mission to build a future we can all trust.
• Present in India since 1953, Thales is headquartered in Noida and has other operational offices and sites spread across Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Mumbai, among others.
• Over 2200 employees are working with Thales and its joint ventures in India.
• Since the beginning, Thales has been playing an essential role in India’s growth story by sharing its technologies and expertise in Defence, Aerospace and Cyber & Digital sectors.
• Thales has two engineering competence centres in India - one in Noida focused on Cyber & Digital business, while the one in Bengaluru focuses on hardware, software and systems engineering capabilities for both the civil and defence sectors, serving global needs.
• The Group has also established an MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility in Gurugram to provide comprehensive avionics maintenance and repair services to Indian airlines and support the growth of the local aviation industry.
• Engineering Delivery Manager – Identity Platform (AI-Driven SDLC)
• Overview
• We are looking for an Engineering Delivery Manager to lead delivery across multiple squads building and evolving a cloud-native Identity Platform .
• You will drive predictable outcomes , high engineering quality , and adoption of our AI-driven SDLC —improving speed , reliability , and compliance through modern ways of working.
• You will lead a delivery organisation of ~20 engineers , shaping squads around product priorities , coaching delivery discipline , and ensuring teams use AI tooling (coding, test generation, documentation, triage) to raise throughput and quality .
• Partner with Product , Architecture , Security and Platform stakeholders to translate roadmap intent into executable plans , manage dependencies and risks , and deliver measurable outcomes .
• This is a hands-on leadership role focused on delivery excellence and AI-enabled transformation .
• Location: Noida [India]