Operations Director

About This Role

Directing the end-to-end operational performance and ensuring timely, high-quality delivery within budget for all industrial operations and support functions is the core of this role, reporting directly to the CEO and serving as an active member of the Management Committee. This position suits a leader with a clear industrial and human vision, capable of stimulating and guiding teams towards collective objectives in a constructive and collaborative spirit within a transforming environment of activity growth and consolidation. The scope of the role includes industrialisation and production, supply chain and purchasing transformation, alignment of information systems and information technologies, real estate and facility management, as well as quality and Health, Safety, and Environment.

Responsibilities

• Supervise, define, and execute the national operations strategy aligned with the priorities of the strategic business plan, multi-year budget, and Group entities
• Set and achieve objectives for safety, quality, cost, delivery, cash, and personnel, and deploy operations performance and competitiveness plans
• Lead the transformation and continuous improvement roadmap (Lean/problem-solving, digital, process excellence)
• Direct industrial policy and execution for embedded electronics (Tubize, Peutie) and rockets/launchers (Herstal), including subcontracting choices
• Oversee the entire end-to-end supply chain (internal and external), including supplier performance, resilience (dual-sourcing), and on-time delivery
• Ensure the implementation of the Group's purchasing operational model and improve purchasing performance (QCD, risk, cash, offsets)
• Guarantee a robust Quality Management System and reduce non-quality and its cost
• Ensure the safety of personnel and assets, and enforce HSE standards and culture in all operations
• Be the primary responsible party and reference point for all regulatory and operational requirements related to pyrotechnics
• Define the sites' real estate strategy and lead the real estate development program to support growth and new activities
• Align IS/IT (information systems and technologies) with the Group's strategy and the priorities of the International Development Department
• Lead, develop, and engage a high-performing, inclusive, and safety-focused operations management team
• Manage the budgetary and financial performance of operations, and optimize working capital (stock, cash)
• Ensure compliance with the Thales Code of Ethics and Conduct, as well as export control and data protection requirements
• Represent Thales Belgium to institutional stakeholders and professional bodies

Requirements

• Master's degree in engineering or a related field; a degree in business or management (e.g., MBA) is an asset
• Extensive senior/executive leadership experience in Operations within complex, high-tech industrial environments across multiple sites, in change management, and in a matrix group environment
• Experience in defense, electronics, and/or munitions is highly valued
• Demonstrated success in industrialisation, production, program/bid management, risk management, supply chain, and purchasing
• Proficiency in budget/financial management and investment plans
• Strong strategic vision and effective handling of complexity
• Ambitious and results-oriented, taking responsibility for outcomes
• Recognized leadership, with impact and credibility to unite, create synergies, and influence key stakeholders
• Comfortable with ERP/PLM and digital tools (Oracle Core Model, PCM, PALMA) and data management
• Fluent in English and able to express yourself in French and/or Dutch
• Work on-site in Tubize and Herstal and open to travel within Belgium and occasionally internationally
• Able to obtain and maintain all required national/EU/NATO security clearances

Benefits

• A high-impact leadership role at the heart of Thales' operations in Belgium
• Opportunity to shape growth, performance, and transformation through diverse and mission-critical activities
• An inclusive culture focused on safety, innovation, ethics, and sustainable performance
• Opportunity to represent management in various governance bodies
• Permanent employment status

Important Details

• Locations: Tubize/Peutie and Herstal/Soumagne

About the Company

Thales in Belgium is part of a leading international technology group active in the defense and security, aerospace, and digital identity and security markets. Thales ensures that its customers, partners, and employees can confidently embark on new paths for a future they can all trust. Thales Belgium plans to increase its footprint in Belgium and abroad and currently employs over 1,000 people at its sites and those of its clients in Belgium.