EU Defense Director

Location: Brussels, Belgium

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.

As part of the Thales International organisation, our Brussels Office represents the interests of the Group towards the EU, NATO and UN, which are key stakeholders and customers for Thales and have an increasing influence on demand in national markets. The team leads and coordinates the Group's efforts to contribute to the policy debates, increase our captures (funding and order intake) and ensure that the drivers of these Organisations are well understood and taken into account internally.

Say HI* – to your career as

EU Defence Director

At the Brussels Representation Office

Based at the Brussels representation office, and reporting to the Vice President International Organisations, your role will encompass both Public affairs and Key Account management dimensions.

As Public affairs manager, your role will be to raise the profile of Thales towards EU defence institutional stakeholders and to define / lead the advocacy strategy of the Group towards them on a wide range of policy topics.

As Key account manager, your role will be to understand the dynamics of EU defence support mechanisms, to identify relevant procurement opportunities, and to articulate how Thales can best leverage those. With this understanding, the Account Manager will deliver profitable order intake as well as funding capture based on the account plan he/she will build.

Your mission :

• Act as “One face to the customer” on behalf of Thales by representing the Group in all relevant discussions with EU’s institutions & agencies active in the field of defence, and setting actions to develop trust between Thales and relevant EU bodies.
• Build an Account Plan to define the strategy towards EU’s institutions & agencies active in the field of defence, align this strategy with internal stakeholders and facilitate the execution of the plan with business units and countries throughout the Group.
• Define and conduct the advocacy strategy towards EU’s institutions & agencies active in the field of defence, by:
  • Monitoring and analyzing regulatory developments and their potential impacts on the Group;
  • Coordinating the Group's positions on European defence regulatory matters, in particular by actively contributing to the development of targeted messages;
  • Defining action plans towards Institutions for all relevant files;
  • Actively contribute to the work of relevant trade associations.
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• Increase funding capture and order intake for the Group, by:
  • Understanding and sharing the relevant Organisations' stakes, expectations and vision, and how Thales products and services can support them;
  • Driving and securing strategic initiatives to generate growth beyond business as usual;
  • Orchestrating, aligning and supporting the internal capture teams in all actions required to close business opportunities.

We are looking forward to meeting you if:

• You already have a proven experience of 5 to 10 years as Policy maker, Public Affairs Manager, Consultant, Key Account Manager, Business Developer or Sales Manager towards or within EU’s institutions & agencies active in the field of defence;
• You master the European Union institutional environment and decision-making processes;
• You have a proven business acumen, as well as experience in complex projects with high value;
• You are used to international and institutional environments;
• You speak both English and French fluently (at least C1 level in both);
• You strive in high-pace environments;
• You have a natural orientation towards networking (both internal and external) and developing intimacy with your networks;
• You are recognized as an excellent communicator;
• Collaboration and teamwork are your basic operating modes;
• You master convincing, persuading and negotiating;
• An experience in capturing EU funding is a plus.

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. The Group is investing in digital and “deep tech” innovations – Big Data, artificial intelligence, connectivity, cybersecurity and quantum technology – to build a future we can all trust.

For more than 20 years, Thales has pursued a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy based on the highest international standards. The principles behind this policy are now captured in the company’s purpose of “building a future we can all trust”, which was adopted in 2020.

Say HI* – Your journey to us

At times of change our international teams are ready to meet the complexity of today with the industry-leading technologies of tomorrow. Will you be part of it? We are looking forward to your online application. Great journeys start here, apply now!

*Human Intelligence