Hybrid Director, Strategic Supplier Relations

at Thales

• Job title: Director, Strategic Supplier Relations
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Lead
• Salary: $142,559 - $221,066 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Irvine, United States

About the role

• Director of Strategic Supplier Relations at Thales, managing partnerships in cabin experience and IFE systems. Building strategic alliances with seat manufacturers and enhancing airline customer offerings.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic plan for partnerships and alliances with seat manufacturers (line‑fit and retrofit) that align with Thales’s IFE/connectivity/cabin‑experience roadmap and our airline customers’ needs.
• Identify, onboard and nurture key seat‑manufacturer relationships: evaluate potential partners, build business cases, structure collaboration models (co‑marketing, joint offerings, packaging, retrofit kits, service bundles).
• Work closely with internal Thales teams (product management, integration engineering, retrofit business, airline account teams, service operations) to ensure alignment of seat‑partner initiatives with Thales’s IFE/connectivity solutions (e.g., AVANT, FlytLIVE, InFlyt360 etc.).
• Lead commercial negotiations and contract frameworks with seat partners (e.g., supplier agreements, preferred‑supplier status, joint pricing or bundling frameworks, co‑investment models);
• Serve as the key interface at major industry events / trade shows (e.g., aircraft interiors exhibitions, seat‑manufacturer forums) to promote Thales’s seat‑partnership capability, build awareness and capture pipeline.
• Develop value propositions for airlines leveraging the seat + IFE/connectivity partnership: evaluate what differentiated experiences or cost/weight/power synergies can be created, build business cases, present to airline stakeholders;
• Monitor partnership performance: track key metrics (conversion rates, joint wins, retrofit deals, margin improvement, customer satisfaction), identify areas for improvement, and drive continuous enhancement of the partner ecosystem.
• Provide market intelligence on seat trends (material, weight/volume/power constraints, seat‑manufacturer strategies, retrofit growth) and ensure that Thales’s IFE/connectivity offerings remain aligned and competitively differentiated in cabin‑seatings contexts;
• Collaborate with marketing/comms to craft joint partner campaigns, white‑papers, case‑studies and thought‑leadership content showcasing seat + IFE/connectivity innovation;
• Ensure compliance with relevant aerospace, certification and safety standards across joint seat + Thales solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (Engineering, Business, Aviation or related) required; MBA or advanced business qualification preferred.
• 10+ years’ experience in aerospace or aviation in roles involving cabin interior/seat manufacturing, aircraft OEMs, IFE/connectivity or airline account management — with a track record of building/managing strategic partnerships.
• Strong commercial acumen: experience negotiating strategic contracts, alliance/joint‑venture frameworks, bundling/commercial models;
• Excellent relationship and stakeholder‑management skills: able to engage senior executives at seat‑manufacturers, airlines and Thales internal leadership.
• Solid technical understanding of aircraft cabin interiors, seat‑manufacturing constraints, line‑fit vs retrofit business, cabin‑integration and aircraft certification environment;
• Good knowledge of IFE/connectivity business in aviation and how that integrates with cabin/seat ecosystems.
• Knowledge of weight, volume, power, installation, maintenance, cost‑of‑ownership dynamics a plus.
• Strategic and analytical mindset: able to create business cases, evaluate market trends, prioritize opportunities and drive execution;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to present compelling value propositions to airlines and seat‑manufacturers;
• Willingness to travel internationally (to seat‑manufacturers, airlines, trade shows, etc.).
• Strong collaboration skills: able to align internal cross‑functional teams (product, engineering, retrofit, business development) and external partners;
• Results‑oriented, self‑driven and able to manage multiple initiatives in parallel.

Benefits

• 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.