Thales recruitment drive seeks 8,000 people in 2025

Around 40 per cent of new hires will join engineering roles including software and systems engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data; while approximately 25 per cent will join industrial roles, including technicians, operators, and industrial engineers.

Furthermore, Thales said it plans to invest heavily in quantum technology and quantum specialists.

In the UK, Thales will be recruiting over 1,000 roles across its manufacturing facilities in Glasgow, Belfast and Crawley, West Sussex.

Recent contracts in the UK have provided a boost to the company in Britain, including air defence missile contracts for Belfast, manufacturing the optronic periscope at Glasgow for the Royal Navy’s Dreadnought submarine, and manufacturing the UK’s new biometric passport for the Home Office.

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The company said geopolitical crises, the rebound in air traffic, and accelerating global connectivity are contributing to its growth and the need for more staff. It added that this builds on momentum established in recent years, with over 30,000 new hires between 2022 and 2024, including 9,000 in the defence sector;