Lead - Component Engineer

Location: Bangalore - Indraprastha, 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.

He / She contributes to the component engineering and obsolescence management for Thales IFEC products.

The Component Engineer is responsible for parts selection, evaluation, qualification, and management of components used in the design and manufacturing of electronic and mechanical systems. The role ensures that all components meet required quality, compliance, and reliability standards, and supports engineering, procurement, and manufacturing teams by maintaining up-to-date component data and ensuring availability throughout the product lifecycle. The Component Engineer acts as a technical coordinator with suppliers, manages the component library, mitigates risks such as obsolescence, and ensures adherence to industry standards and company policies.

List the essential functions required for this position to exist. Also, list the responsibilities that must be completed in achieving the objectives of the position. Include all important aspects of the job -- whether performed daily, weekly, monthly, or annually; and any that occur at irregular intervals. Focus these responses on direct actions or key functions.

Technical support:

• The scope of work includes activities related to identifying, assessing, and managing the risks associated with the obsolescence of components used in Thales products. The Component and Obsolescence Monitoring Engineers are expected to monitor the lifecycle of components, forecast potential obsolescence issues, and implement effective strategies to mitigate these risks.

• BOM Scrub: Analysis of BOMs (Bill of Materials), Proactive BOM Scrubbing and Risk Assessment

• To ensure continuous availability of critical components for Thales products.

• To proactively manage and mitigate risks related to component obsolescence.

• To maintain a high level of product reliability and performance

• Alert Monitoring: Analyze all obsolescence notifications (PDNs, PCNs, Obsolescence Alerts) from providers and any other sources to identify potential alternate components

• Continuously monitor alerts related to component obsolescence and input them into the Component Database

• Evaluate the impact of alerts at the Part, BOM, Assembly, Product/ Unit level, tracking and reporting frequency and severity

• Suggest alternative components when suitable solution already exists in the Thales preferred parts list or already exists in the Thales component library. Find the best component solution with the designer and the purchase who respect components strategies

• Prepare regular reports on alert status and impact, highlighting significant findings and trends

• Identify Obsolescence and other issues and provide replacement/alternative parts/components to meet project/customer reliability, safety and legislative requirements

• Cost Mitigation knowledge on obsolescence: Alternate solutions, Bridge Buy, LBO, LTB and other strategies

• Measure the timeliness of response to obsolescence issues and establish reaction time

• Maintain component database including part numbers, specifications, and qualification status.

• Assess and manage risks related to component obsolescence, end-of-life, and supply chain disruptions.

• Collaborate with design, procurement, manufacturing, and quality teams to resolve component-related issues.

• Ensure components comply with industry standards and regulatory requirements (such as RoHS, REACH, etc.).

• Interface with suppliers for technical support, part approvals, and alternative sourcing.

• Management of data within supported Thales tools

• Validate completeness and accuracy of BOMs in Team Center and electronic lifecycle management tools through regular audits.

• Conduct annual comprehensive product reviews, including obsolescence mapping, stock levels and risk assessment to help guide Last Time Buy and Redesign decisions.

• Gather, analyze and present data from industry databases, supplier alerts and market intelligence to assess component lifecycle risks and trends.

• Prepare visual reports and lifecycle maps to communicate the status and forecast of component obsolescence for internal stakeholders.

Communication

• Ability to work in cross-functional teams and communicate with international teams effectively.

• Demonstrates behavior that is consistent with the Thales Behaviors

• Maintains an ethical approach to business, in line with the Thales ethics policy.

• Ability to report and good communicator

• Self-motivated and proactive

• Ability to follow several projects at the same time

Leadership

• Leads cross functional teams in analyzing problems, making recommendations, defining priorities and implementing solutions.

• Is able to influence internal / external customers/stakeholders.

• Leads continuous improvement projects to reduce cost, improve quality and brings new solutions to define a state-of-the-art activity and become an industry leader.

• Highly regarded for technical expertise and the ability to communicate issues.

Financial Impact

• Failure to meet the schedule for addressing obsolescence issues could result in potential losses

Include minimum experience qualifications, required proficiencies with specialized knowledge, computer proficiencies, etc.

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Electronics Engineering or related discipline

• 8 to 12 years of experience in Component Engineering and Obsolescence Management

• Interpret mechanical and electrical wiring diagrams.

• Ability to operate effectively and autonomously across multiple teams in situations of ambiguity, with only high-level direction.

Preferred attributes for the position, which are not required in the minimum qualifications (e.g., master degree)

The person in this position is expected to:

• Obsolescence Management expertise

• BOM/Part Obsolescence Monitoring expertise

• Experience working with PLM (Team center /Wind-chill/ PALMA)

• Parts/component database management expertise

• PDNs/ PCN processing expertise

• Data Providers (Silicon Expert, IHS MARKIT, Total Parts Plus……) Obsolescence Monitoring expertise using any or all the data providers

• Identification of Alternates of all Electrical and Electronic, Mechanical and Software Solutions to mitigate obsolescence issues

• Experiences in the implementation of passive and active components

• Experience in understanding technological issues (packaging technology, component expertise, SEU, etc.)

• Knowledge of digital, analog, passive and active components, connectors

• Change Management in PLM/ equivalent databases

• Automation of certain process using software language (Excel, Python, VBA Scripts, C, C++…..)

• Have the ability to work in a remote team environment.

• Strong work ethic and drive to succeed with a strong sense of accountability and integrity

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.