Program Demand Specialist

Location: Irvine, United States of America

Thales people architect solutions that enable two-thirds of planes to take off and land safely. We create in-flight entertainment systems that engross 50 million fliers every year and we develop the avionics that control the world’s largest commercial aircrafts. Our simulators train the next generation of pilots for fighter jets, transporters and search and rescue helicopters. And, together, each and every member of our aerospace team makes a difference.

Program Demand Specialist

Irvine, CA (Fully onsite)

Position Summary

Thales is looking for a Program Demand Specialist, whose role involves independently managing moderate to complex program demand activities to support delivery commitments with airline customers and aircraft manufacturers. Reporting to the Program Demand Manager, this position applies strong program management judgment to align demand planning, material readiness, and execution schedules, ensuring commitments are met accurately and on time.

In this position, you will analyze requirements, structure and maintain WBS, PBS, and BOMs, and assess their impact on MRP scheduling systems to drive effective planning and risk mitigation. You proactively track deliverables, identify issues, and collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and program teams to resolve challenges. Your ability to communicate status, risks, and recommendations with minimal supervision plays a critical role in continuous improvement of program demand planning processes and overall operational performance.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Serves as the single point of contact for assigned customer programs and associated workstreams, ensuring consistent communication and coordination, while supporting leadership through risk identification, impact assessment, and mitigation planning.
• Develops, maintains, and governs customer project revenue and billing plans, COGS forecasts, ship-set delivery data, and the project program file/portfolio throughout the full project lifecycle to support accurate financial, operational, and demand planning.
• Coordinates and monitors engineering and material readiness, including the release of engineering drawings and technical documentation, timely sourcing and costing of materials, and readiness to meet project deliverables and contractual schedules.
• Tracks and manages project deliverables to ensure execution aligns with contractual commitments, schedules, quality expectations, and Customer On-Dock Dates (CODDs), including coordinating the receipt, validation, and entry of Customer Purchase Orders and resolving discrepancies.
• Ensures accurate system demand and data integrity by managing the timely entry of hardware demand into the Thales ERP system (SAP), proactively resolving rescheduling errors, system inconsistencies, planning variances, and ensuring project deliverables drive accurate demand signals.
• Drives data governance, analytics, and continuous improvement, including establishing validation best practices, analyzing demand trends to improve forecast accuracy, supporting audits, participating in Tiger Teams, and driving process and procedural automation to improve efficiency, scalability, and data reliability.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education & experience foundation: Bachelor’s degree with 5–8 years of relevant professional experience, or an Advanced degree with 3–5 years of relevant experience, supporting independent contribution in complex program and demand-driven environments.
• Technical, financial, and systems expertise: Demonstrated understanding of global supply chain mechanics and interdependencies across demand, inventory, procurement, and cash flow, with ERP experience (SAP preferred). Strong ability to analyze contracts, proposals, technical documentation, drawings, regulatory requirements, and financial reports, including variance analysis across billings, forecast revenue, EAC, COGS, rebates, discounts, credits, and project P&L alignment.
• Program and project management proficiency: Proven capability to manage scope, schedule, risk, technical execution, and financial performance; develop project plans, quality objectives, lessons learned; and support Program Managers in preparing program and financial reviews for senior leadership.
• Communication, influence, and executive presence: Demonstrates effective consulting, negotiation, influencing, and persuasion skills with diverse stakeholders, including clear and professional verbal and written communication and strong executive-level presentation and storytelling capability.
• Analytical problem-solving and tools mastery: Strong strategic, critical, and data-driven thinking with the ability to simplify complex problem