Strategic Technology Lead (D/F/M)

Job Description:

Airbus Defence and Space is looking for a Strategic Technology Lead (f/m) to join our Airbus Public Safety & Security (PSS) department based in Elancourt, France.

PSS is a world‑leading provider of mission‑critical communication and collaboration solutions. With a 25‑year legacy in narrowband radio, we are now accelerating a bold transformation towards:

• Broadband connectivity – 5G, 5G‑Advanced, 6G, satellite‑backhaul and beyond.
• Digitalized mission focused applications – providing capabilities beyond voice and data services.
• End‑to‑end software – cloud‑native, hyper‑scalable, integrated with modern IT stacks (VNF, SD‑WAN, NFV, AI, quantum‑optimized networking).
• Hybrid operations – ensuring coexistence of legacy narrowband and next‑gen broadband networks.

We serve governments, emergency services, defense and industrial sectors worldwide. Our critical collaboration solutions are the backbone of life‑saving operations, secure data exchange and resilient command‑and‑control. Our purpose is to connect those who protect us.

The Opportunity

As Strategic Technology Lead , you will be the strategic leader who steers PSS through this transformative era. You will orient decisions of our critical technology activities, each driving pillars of our business growth:

• Research & Technology (R&T): EU & national research projects, co-creation with customers and partners, experimentations, aligning R&T with the business roadmap.
• Technology Strategy: Trend monitoring, strategic roadmap management, partnership scouting, drive long‑term tech vision.
• Standardization:  3GPP/ETSI participation, advocacy, knowledge transfer, ensuring our solutions win the standards race while delivering expected business value.
• Regulation: Spectrum, security & privacy, compliance with NIS2, Cyber Resilience Act, ITU/NATO directives.
• Patent Portfolio Management: Foster more patent filing and IP mindset, cost optimization, protection of our IP.
• Industry Cooperation: TCCA, AFNUM, BAPCO, EU CCS, EENA, 450‑Alliance, joint white‑papers, market & tech promotion.
• Internal & External Representation: Tech events, hackathons, media, internal knowledge sharing, external visibility.

You will collaborate with all these functions together under a centralized, cross‑functional CTO organization that amplifies information sharing, governance and efficiency across PSS’s engineering, sales, operations and partner‑management teams.

Your challenge

• Lead the transformation – helping build a unified CTO organization that integrates these seven activities, defines clear ownership, and establishes robust processes for coordination and governance.
• Shape the future of mission‑critical collaboration solutions – set the technical vision for the future of connectivity in terms of technologies, regulations as well as the commercial landscape.
• Impersonate a technical authority – decide which technologies enter into our portfolio – deliver more value to our users – achieve our business growth objectives. 
• Support standard‑setting success – leverage our contribution to 3GPP working groups, influence ETSI specifications, and turn regulatory changes into competitive advantages.
• Secure our IP and market position – oversee patent strategy, manage the portfolio, and protect innovations while ensuring cost efficiency.
• Forge strategic partnerships – identify and negotiate with technology vendors, telco and cloud providers, academia, and industry consortia to accelerate technology adoption.
• Champion cross‑functional collaboration – act as the bridge between engineering, sales, operations, and procurement, ensuring alignment of technology roadmaps with customer needs and business goals.
• Represent PSS globally – speak at conferences, media, and internal tech events; cultivate a reputation as a thought leader in mission‑critical communications.
• Ensure regulatory compliance – keep the company ahead of evolving spectrum, cybersecurity, and data‑privacy regulations (NIS2, Cyber Resilience Act, ITU, NATO).

Why PSS?

What it means to be Strategic Technology Lead at PSS: 

Impact: Your decisions directly influence life‑saving communication infrastructure worldwide.

Innovation: Work at the frontier of 5G/6G, satellite‑backhaul, AI, quantum networking, and more.

Autonomy: Own a high‑visibility function, shape strategy, and build a world‑class technology organization.

Collaboration: Partne