Configuration Management & Documentation Manager

Location: Overland Park, United States of America

Thales people architect solutions that are relied upon to deliver operational advantage at every decisive moment throughout the mission. Defence and armed forces customers rely on us to deliver the full range of defensive systems for land, sea, and air. From early warning, to threat neutralisation, our platforms cover all levels from very short-range systems, to extended protection across the entire battle-space including Airspace Mobility Solutions, Vehicles and Tactical Systems and Missile Defence, Optronics, and Radar.

Configuration Management & Documentation Manager

Overland Park, KS and or Salt Lake City, UT (Hybrid)

Position Summary

Thales is looking for a Configuration Management & Documentation Manager, whose role is to serve as a senior strategic leader responsible for driving enterprise-wide configuration governance, documentation integrity, and process standardization across complex operational and technical environments. This role operates with a broad cross-functional mandate to establish scalable configuration management frameworks, ensure document control compliance, and support operational continuity, quality assurance, and long-term business resilience.

In this position, you will lead complex, cross-functional initiatives focused on configuration control, change management, technical documentation oversight, and process optimization. Leveraging data-driven methodologies, compliance standards, and best operational practices, you will deliver strategic oversight that supports business objectives, regulatory requirements, and organizational efficiency. You will act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, ensuring disciplined governance of configuration baselines, documentation systems, audit readiness, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement initiatives, while fostering a culture of accountability, accuracy, collaboration, and operational excellence across the organization.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Lead enterprise-wide configuration management and documentation control initiatives to ensure operational consistency, compliance, and process standardization across complex technical and business environments.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve scalable configuration governance frameworks, document control systems, and change management processes that support long-term organizational efficiency and resilience.
• Oversee configuration baselines, technical documentation integrity, revision control, and audit readiness to ensure compliance with internal standards, customer requirements, and regulatory obligations.
• Partner cross-functionally with engineering, operations, quality, program management, and leadership teams to identify operational challenges, drive process optimization, and support strategic business objectives.
• Utilize data-driven methodologies, performance metrics, and compliance best practices to provide executive-level insights, mitigate operational risk, and support informed decision-making.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership by fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and operational excellence across all configuration management and documentation activities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, or a related field, with 10+ years of experience in configuration management supporting complex, multi-domain product data environments; equivalent combinations of education and experience may also be considered.
• 5+ years of direct configuration management experience within highly regulated industries such as aerospace, medical devices, defense, nuclear, or similarly compliance-driven environments. Hands-on expertise with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems and configuration/data management toolsets, such as Windchill, supporting complex product structures and controlled documentation processes.
• Strong understanding of Systems Engineering principles and the full Product Development Lifecycle, including configuration control throughout design, development, release, and sustainment phases. Proven leadership experience with the ability to effectively manage cross-functional teams, influence stakeholders at all organizational levels, and communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated operational excellence with a quality-focused mindset, including experience managing controlled records, product releases, regulatory data compliance (e.g., FAA, EAR), version control, process discipline, and organizational planning in collaborative team-oriented environments.
• Must be a US Person as defined in applicable law.
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined in applicable law, or otherwise authorized or eligible for authorization, to access to hardware, software, technology or technical {OPEN} data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Special Position Requirements

• Experience working with Windchill PLM tools is highly preferred, while familiarity with JIRA or similar issue and problem-reporting systems is considered a strong advantage.
• Experience with SAP ERP systems or related enterprise resource planning platforms is a plus.
• Multilingual communication skills, including proficiency in Italian or French, are considered beneficial in supporting global collaboration and international operations.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, Business Operations, or a related discipline is preferred.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule aligned to a 9/80 or 5/40 work structure, primarily supporting operations Monday through Thursday.
• Comfortable working in a hybrid office environment based in Overland Park, Kansas City area, with the ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% annually, including occasional trips to Salt Lake City, Utah and Gorgonzola (Milan), Italy.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future.

If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!

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This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with [a] criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances.

We are an equal opportunity employer, including disability and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at talentacquisition@us.thalesgroup.com.

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between

Total Target Cash (TTC) 123,978.54 - 221,503.82 USD Annual

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.

(For Internal candidate, if you need more information, please reach out to your HR Shared Service, 1st Point) 

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

•Elective Health, Dental, Vision, FSA/HSA, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Whole Group Life w/LTC, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Plan, Identity Theft, and Pet Insurance

•Retirement Savings Plan after 30 days of employment with a company contribution and a match, and with no vesting period

•Company paid holidays and Paid Time Off

•Company provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Disability, Employee Assistance Plan, and Well-being Program