FACTORY ACCEPTANCE TEST (FAT) MANAGER

Location: Gorgonzola, Italy 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. Gorgonzola hosts the Navigations Air Systems (NAS) domain. The activity of NAS domain includes avionics, navigation, and radar systems for civil air traffic and technologies supporting the activities of civilian and military pilots, ATC controllers, and technicians of several airlines, air traffic control agencies, and Air Force around the world. Italy is the Group’s Competence center for the design, production, and delivery of Navigation Aids products and Competence Centre for the delivery of non-Radar Surveillance Products. JOB OBJECTIVE At Thales, the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Manager for the Italian manufacturing plant oversees all activities, serving as the primary liaison between Industry, Project Managers (PMs), Quality Assurance Management (QAM), and other internal stakeholders. His/Her core responsibility is to ensure the complete and successful execution of system acceptance tests conducted to our customers' highest satisfaction. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES The main responsibilities of the FAT Manager can be categorized into three main areas: Pre-FAT Preparation, FAT Execution Support, and Post-FAT Activities. Pre-FAT Preparation: Schedules FAT dates and gathers technical details from PMs, ENG, QAM, and other stakeholders. Schedules qualified technicians and interfaces with Engineering. Collaborates with Supply Chain and Logistics for materials preparation. Oversees pre-FAT activities (material setup, check-lists, configuration readiness). Manages pre-FAT anomalies with Industry, QAM, and PMs. FAT Execution and Reporting: Acts as a single point of contact between Customers, PMs, and Industry. Supports Customers by addressing internally technical/organizational topics to relevant stakeholders. Verifies equipment condition and acts as technical point of contact. Provides and checks all FAT related documentation. Records FAT protocol, stores data for future reference. Post-FAT Activities: Manages reporting of time spent on FAT activities. Collects Voice of the Customer (VOC) data. Coordinates with Logistics on material collection and storage. SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS The ideal candidate possesses strong planning and scheduling abilities to keep FAT planning and execution on track. They should also be comfortable working collaboratively with other teams to gather technical details and resources. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are key. This includes active listening, problem-solving, and building relationships with customers. The ability to act as a central point of contact and coordinate between various teams is essential for smooth project flow. Proactive risk management is a must. Being able to identify and resolve potential issues before they arise minimizes disruptions. In addition, strong documentation and reporting skills ensure the FAT process is well-documented and time spent is accurately reported. Finally, a successful FAT manager should possess a mix of technical and soft skills. A solid understanding of the systems being tested and familiarity with relevant tools is important. Basic knowledge of RF systems, network fundamentals, familiarity with the Linux environment, and communication protocols is highly recommended. However, a willingness to take ownership, collaborate effectively, and foster a positive team environment are equally important. Required: at least 3 years in managing projects interacting with technical stakeholders and/or customers. Fluency in English written and spoken is mandatory; any other language is a plus. Good knowledge of MS Office, IT tools, and ERP will be an asset for this role. 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. Great journeys start here, apply now! #J-18808-Ljbffr