Configuration Management & Documentation Manager at Thales USA, Inc. (AMS) in Overland Park, Kansas

Job Description:

Location: Overland Park, United States of America

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.

Configuration Management Manager

Overland Park, KS (Fully onsite)

Position Summary

Thales is currently looking for a Configuration Manager who would be responsible for providing leadership & operational management of the Configuration Management discipline and team for projects and products across the Thales AMS US entity with physical locations in Overland Park, Kansas, USA (Kansas City) and Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. This position has a matrix role of Head of Discipline (HoD) of Configuration Management across our global AMS NAS presence.  This global organization consists of the two Thales AMS US locations mentioned and the Thales AMS entity located in Gorgonzola (Milan), Italy.

In this position, you will ensure the management of the CM team in Overland Park and Salt Lake City, and the CM team in Italy, through the coordination with the CM Manager located in Gorgonzola, Italy.  In addition to the team management, the NAS CM HOD is responsible for the establishment, integrity, consistency and change control of the Projects and Products System, Hardware & Software configuration. It allows the Project/Product teams to have identified and validated baselines / configuration status for all milestones of project lifecycles.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Oversight and management of the US CM team’s budget, training, career development, and daily priorities & assignments.


• Tailor the organization Configuration Management system and customer requirements for projects into a Configuration Management Plan (CMP) and implement and ensure adherence to the provisions of the CMP.


• Write and process Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) / Notices (ECNs) in cooperation with Engineering and the rest of NAS organization to provide a CM compatible and compliant resolution to the change request.


• Organize and steer the Configuration Control Board (CCB) for standard projects between the NAS 3 sites, notably the common Overland Park/Gorgonzola CCB, steer additional project dedicated CCB (H/W, SW, or System), including pre-CCB (Gather info from stakeholders) and post-CCB activities (e.g. update corresponding ERP).


• Responsible for the US administration of the Thales PALMA tool (Windchill PLM).


• Manage the production and change control of the requirements and design documentations for the establishment of the Functional, Allocated and Product Configuration Baselines (FBL, ABL, PBL) for the Project/Product.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management or related field of study with 10+ years of experience in Configuration Management of complex multi-domain product data (an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered).


• 5+ years of direct product configuration management experience working in a highly regulated environment (aerospace, medical devices, nuclear, etc.).


• Direct hands on experience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) (e.g. Windchill) and/or data management toolsets for configuration management of complex products.


• Experience in System Engineering activities and the stages of the Product Development Cycle.


• 5+ years of experience in a leadership role, as well as being a team player, with strong written and verbal communication skills to allow effective communication with both technical and non-technical team, and ability to influence stakeholders at all levels. Operational experience managing company releases, records, and controlled data (e.g. FAA, EAR).


• Must be a US Person as defined in applicable law. Must be a U.S. Person as defined in applicable law, or otherwise authorized or eligible for authorization, to access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Special Position Requirements

• Schedule: Mon-Thu on 9/80 or 5/40 schedule.


• Physical Environment: Primarily in Overland Park (Kansas City Area) office on a hybrid work schedule.


• Travel: Travel: Anticipated to be less than 10% annually. Trips can be both domestic (Mostly Salt Lake City, UT, USA) and international travel (Mostly Gorgonzola (Milan), Italy) and less than 5 days in length, with international trips up to 7 days in length.

If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!

What We Offer

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 30 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following: 

• Elective Health and Dental plans. 


• Retirement Savings Plan with a company contribution and a match, and without vesting period. 


• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave. 


• Company provided Life Insurance.

Why Join Us?

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This position will require successfully completing a post-offer background check. Qualified candidates with (a) criminal history will be considered and are not automatically disqualified, consistent with federal law, state law, and local ordinances.

Successful applicant must comply with federal contractor vaccine mandate requirements.

Thales champions inclusion and we believe diversity strengthens the fabric of our culture. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you need an accommodation or assistance in order to apply for a position with Thales, please contact us at talentacquisition@us.thalesgroup.com.

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