Manufacturing Team Leader - Shift

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Manufacturing Team Leader – Shift Pattern

Templecombe | Onsite
Monday – Wednesday (Day Shift)

Lead with purpose. Support people. Make a difference.

Are you looking for a role where your leadership genuinely matters — not just to the work, but to the people around you? Do you enjoy bringing teams together, developing others, and creating an environment where everyone can do their best work?

If so, this could be a meaningful next step in your career.

At Thales Underwater Systems our purpose is to be the leading provider of underwater sensors and decision superiority, helping navies across the world keep our friends, families and all of us safe. We cover four sectors: Mine Counter Measures, Anti-Submarine warfare, Services and Future Capabilities.

What we can offer you

We want you to thrive — professionally and personally. At Thales, you’ll benefit from:

• Market‑leading learning, development and career pathways

• Mentoring and coaching from experienced leaders and technical experts

• Genuine internal mobility within a diverse, global organisation

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Manufacturing Team Leader to work closely with the Activity Manager, supporting delivery on shift while ensuring people feel supported, heard, and set up for success.

Your focus will be on balancing quality, efficiency, and team wellbeing — ensuring products are delivered to the highest standards while fostering a collaborative and continuous improvement mindset.

As a Team Leader, you will:

• Create a well‑organised, safe, and supportive workplace where best practice is followed consistently

• Work alongside the APRU to resolve challenges and meet Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD) objectives

• Encourage ideas and continuous improvement using lean principles

• Contribute to estimates for new builds and repairs

• Recruit, develop, coach and encourage team members, supporting both performance and confidence

• Act as a key point of contact for process improvement, documentation, and knowledge sharing

About you

You’re an organised and people‑focused leader with experience managing teams in a manufacturing environment. You enjoy building trust, communicating clearly, and helping others grow.

You’ll bring:

• A proactive mindset and enthusiasm for continuous improvement

• Strong relationship‑building skills across teams and the wider organisation

• Care and attention to detail, ensuring quality and governance are consistently met

• Confidence working independently while remaining collaborative

• Knowledge of MRP/PDM systems (beneficial but not essential)

Flexibility that supports your life.

Your wellbeing matters to us. Where possible, we offer flexible working options including part‑time hours, job sharing, flexible start and finish times, and other arrangements that help you balance work with what matters most to you.

If you’re curious about the role, we encourage you to have an informal conversation with the Talent Acquisition Partner — we’re happy to talk things through.

Thales is an equal opportunities employer, and diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our success. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.  This role requires you to be a UK National and achieve Security Clearance (SC) without any caveats. It would be advantageous if currently held, however, if not currently held, it is a requirement that the successful applicant undergo, achieve, and maintain SC Clearance prior to commencing employment.  If approved by the MOD, a dual national from a non-ITAR country may be considered. 

To be eligible for full SC, you generally need to have resided in the UK for the last 5 years.  In some circumstances, a minimum of 3 years’ residence in the UK over the last 5 years may be accepted, with additional overseas checks.

Please visit the UKSV website for further guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels.

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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.

If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.

Join Thales in the UK – Innovate with us and shape the future!