UK Real Estate Workplace Manager

Location: Green Park, United Kingdom

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.

Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

UK Workplace Manager – Real Estate

Location: Flexible to work at any of our major UK Sites – Green Park, Crawley, Cheadle, Templecombe, Glasgow or Belfast

Shape the Future of Workplaces Across Thales UK

As part of the UK Real Estate leadership team, the UK Workplace Manager plays a critical role in shaping the workplaces, environments and experiences that enable our people to perform at their best. Reporting directly to the UK Real Estate Director, you will lead the development and delivery of our UK Workplace Strategy—ensuring our sites, data, sustainability ambitions and operational models evolve in line with business growth and future‑focused ways of working.

This is a high‑impact leadership role at the heart of an integrated Real Estate function, bringing thought leadership, robust analysis and strategic direction to how we plan, manage and enhance the workplace across the UK.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous evolution of the UK Workplace Strategy aligned with business needs and flexible working best practice.

• Act as the Workplace SME for the UK, providing expert insight on workspace solutions, site performance, utilisation data and market trends.

• Drive Incident Management and Business Continuity planning, contributing to the UK Resilience Programme and site risk mitigation.

• Lead delivery of the UK Real Estate Net Zero Plan for Scopes 1 & 2, chairing the UK Net Zero Steering Committee and tracking performance.

• Oversee creation and maintenance of Real Estate dashboards, Power BI reporting and data systems across the Digi Ops portal.

• Develop a UK Workplace dashboard using connected workspace and attendance data to inform investment, planning and the 10‑Year Real Estate Masterplan.

• Manage Real Estate communication channels including intranet, Teams and Viva Engage, ensuring consistency and strong engagement.

• Enhance customer experience through qualitative and quantitative measures, partnering with Project IRIS and Operational Excellence teams.

• Lead workplace and capability planning within the Multi‑Year Budget (MYB) process.

• Manage, coach and develop team members, building a strong future talent pipeline within the function.

• Work closely with Real Estate teams to support delivery of UK capital programmes and continuous improvement of processes and tools.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in Workplace Management or Facilities Management in complex, multi‑site organisations.

• Strong operational knowledge of space planning, occupancy management, workplace experience and building operations.

• Demonstrated experience in energy management, sustainability initiatives and Net Zero programmes.

• Incident Management and Business Continuity experience within workplace environments.

• Skilled people manager with a strong ability to work with senior stakeholders, partners and multi‑disciplinary teams.

• Highly analytical, with strong data management skills and the ability to build and interpret workplace dashboards and KPIs.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, able to produce compelling business cases and executive reports.

Benefits:

• Performance-related bonus

• Half day every Friday, usually finishing around 13:00

• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with opportunity to buy up to 40 hours/year (pro rata)

• 24 hours volunteering paid for

• Private healthcare

• Pension scheme

• Life cover

• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app

• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers

• Gym membership discounts

Security Clearance Requirement:

Due to the nature of the work that we do at Thales, many of our roles are subject to security restrictions.  This role requires Security Clearance (SC). 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. 

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.

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

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.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Team for graduate and apprentice roles.

Great journeys start here, apply now!