Digital Aviation Market Devel Manager

Job description / Role

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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.

Thales has built a presence in the United Arab Emirates for over 35 years, and today has over 300 employees. Thales in the UAE is part of our Middle East business that has 1,800 people across Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, KSA, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar and UAE. Together we delivered technology for the Dubai metro, the longest driverless metro network in the world and a fare collection system that processes up to 250,000 transactions per day. We make UAE a safer place by providing secure electronic payment solutions, cyber security systems and communications as well as security systems for Dubai International Airport and air traffic management and navigation systems for Abu Dhabi's airport.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The key responsibilities of the position are as follows:

- Contribute to Global Market Development activities including:
- Identification and value proposition development for new ECOsystem applications (new applications, use cases and solutions).
- Identification and pursuit of launch customers for these applications.
- Validation of value creation with customers to refine the value proposition for replication by the Sales/Business Development (BD) teams globally.
- Contribute to the Global Customer Relationship Management (GCRM) portfolio of identified opportunities.
- Engage internal senior stakeholders.
- In charge to promote ECOsystem in the assigned region:
- Represent Thales on official bodies, industry working groups, conferences (e.g. ICAO, CANSO, etc.) on Aviation Digitalization.
- Contribute to the outcomes of such collaborations (presentations, roadmaps, white papers etc.), notably on ATFM and UTM with the relevant product teams.
- Develop relationships with regional aviation stakeholders (ANSPs, CAAs, Airports, Airlines, etc.).
- Influence potential customers by effectively understanding their business needs, operational concepts and priorities in Aviation Digitalization.
- Promote Thales advanced concepts and solutions, tailored to individual challenges.
- Propose and establish partnerships that will prepare and support successful business acquisition.
- Implement ECOsystem demonstrations or pilot projects in relation with those concepts together with customers/partners and with the support of the ECOsystem team.
- Responsible for the select industrial objectives:
- Manage, operationally, a small ECOsystem technical/operational team co-located in the region. The core ECOsystem system architecture platform design patterns, data models, etc being managed centrally in France.
- Coordinate, with the various ECOsystem Product Managers, the scope and extent of industrial activities managed by the regional team:
- Preparation of demonstrations to prospective customers/influencers in the region (e.g. seminars, conferences, etc.)
- Adaptation of ECOsystem to specific local environments (e.g. data interface).
- Developments and maintenance activities during projects execution.
- Propose further industrial and organizational changes in accordance with business forecast.
- Support the Regional ECOsystem capture through:
- Regional Digital Aviation Business Development activities (notably for ATFM and UTM) in coordination with ATM BL sales/BD team.
- Research of bid/proposal opportunities on public agencies' websites.
- Influencing Customer's (ANSPs, CAAs, Airports etc.) operational and technical specifications long before release of tenders.
- Defining best solution (product/system/service) to address customer needs during opportunity phase.
- Driving the pursuit of countries' federal/state subsidies for Research & Technology, to support maturing the technology for this emerging market.

Act as a Capture Team Leader (CTL) when required:

- Lead regional Digital Aviation capture activities (notably for ATFM and UTM) or support ATM BL sales/BD team as may be warranted in each case.
- Prepare, coordinate and deliver proposals, in a timely fashion, which respond to customer RFQs/RFPs and/or other customer needs/requests.
- In coordination with the Sales Manager, qualify the opportunity and Thales' objectives; define the winning price, the choice of products, potential industrial partners and the capture team organization.
- Set up the capture strategy in accordance with Thales' processes; manage the capture team and the win process as needed in coordination with sales/BD.
- Secure the Order Intake and Gross Margin

CHALLENGES

- Several challenges characterise the job position and shape the required qualities of the job holder:
- A high level of autonomy, as part of a globally distributed team.
- Strong communication and influencing skills as the Digital Aviation team, including the Market Development and Product Management team, is geographically distributed
- Culturally diverse customers/partners.
- Need to engage at commercial, operational and technical levels with domain and technology experts.
- Present before C-level executives.
- Operate in a true multi-cultural and international organization.
- Manage multi levels of internal senior stakeholders.

KEY COMMUNICATIONS

- Internal: ATM BL Strategy and Marketing, Digital Aviation teams, ATM BL Sales, ATM BL Technical Directorates, local Thales country teams, KAMs from other GBUs (for airlines and airports).
- External: Aviation Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs), Safety Regulators, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), Airlines, Airport Authorities, global and regional industry associations and trade unions.

Requirements

EXPERIENCE /EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS & SKILLS

GENERAL

- Assist in ensuring a harmonious work environment in all departments that you are working with by upholding Thales's key values.
- Comply with all relevant company Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental policies and framework and work practices with the intent of preventing or minimising accidental exposures to self, colleagues, visitors and/or the environment and to ensure safe work practises at all times.
- Comply with all relevant Company policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

- Appropriate qualifications in business or technical disciplines (e.g. Systems Engineering)

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE/SKILLS

- Excellent interpersonal skills and a positive demeanour in order to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels of influence. Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- A proven track record demonstrating business and commercial acumen, effectively managing and closing business opportunities in the high-tech industry.
- Ten years minimum experience holding senior positions in Sales and/or Business Development.
- Five years minimum experience demonstrating proficiency in the aviation domain
- Prior experience in the geographic region or another similar one demonstrating an ability to generate results.
- A solid know-how in developing emerging markets and implementing new technologies.
- Proven ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and with a variety of international customers.
- Language: fluent English mandatory, French is be a plus, tertiary languages relevant to the assigned geography are helpful.

DESIRABLE BEHAVIOUR

- Aptitude to work effectively as part of a team.
- Comfort in facing and managing ambiguity and uncertainty.
- Sound judgement and independent decision-making capability where necessary.
- Resilience under pressure.
- Capacity to learn quickly.
- Capability to engage various stakeholders having different objectives.
- Develop a sound understanding of the ECOsystem platform and maintain current, specific knowledge of application domains like ATFM and UTM.

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. Great journeys start here, apply now!

About the Company

Thales is a global leader in advanced technologies, investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – connectivity, big data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and quantum computing – to build a confident future crucial for the development of our societies. The Group provides its customers – businesses, organizations and governments – in the defense, aeronautics, space, transport, and digital identity and security domains with solutions, services and products that help them fulfil their critical role, consideration for the individual being the driving force behind all decisions.

Thales has 81,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2020 the Group generated sales of €17 billion and Self-funded R&D 1B€.