#AmazingJobsAtSafranNacelles - Thomas - “ I can make decisions, it’s highly motivating.”

Precision, determination, team spirit, respect for others and rules… A fencer since he was a young child, Thomas turned the values of this sport into his own. They guided him through his professional journey, despite not knowing where he wanted to go. “I was interested in physics.” he recalls. “Then I decided to specialise in mechanics, with a user-centred focus”. 

After graduating from his engineering school, Thomas discovered aerospace through a supplier project in Zodiac Aerospace (now Safran Aerosytems), specialists in plane and helicopter onboard equipment and system. There, he led the fuel system qualification tests for business jets. “It really helped me gain confidence in myself, and gave me a taste for aerospace” he recollects. He then moves on to Dassault Aviation, where he discovered configuration management for After-Sales and Support. Just like in his previous role, he learnt fast and quickly demonstrated his project management skills, alongside excellent interpersonal skills. 

In 2019, when Thomas came across a Programmes Configuration Manager job advert for Safran Nacelles, he had no hesitation: “The description of the role couldn’t match my profile more! I knew of Safran through its reputation, and I knew I would see and do a lot if I pursued my career in the Group. And it came at a time when I was trying to leave the Paris region to live in Normandy”.

Thomas was recruited that November and will soon celebrate his fifth year in the role. Five years that have gone a flash… “Configuration management can be a bit monotonous, as the principles are the same. Yet, each case is unique”, Thomas says with a smile. What is configuration management exactly? “It is all the processes that allow conformity, in line with requirements, throughout the product life cycle” he explains. “One of the objectives, in particular, is to ensure the product quality and conformity, as well as the possibility to reproduce it and maintain it in time”. In Safran Nacelles, there are around 50 people in charge of configuration management, including ten dedicated to Programmes, just like Thomas who manages the Airbus A320neo and A380 nacelle programmes. 

What is unique about Thomas’ role is the project management part that plans and sequences the activities of the various functions involved when changes are introduced. His aim: keeping focus on the 3 pillars that are Quality, Cost and Lead-time. “When an issue is escalated, it is first analysed by the Design Office, who puts solutions forward. If these modifications are agreed, my role is to orchestrate their implementation, all the way to their introduction in service, via the validation and certification of the new configuration, but also the Operations and After-Sales implementation. It takes about a year, and involves multiple internal and external interfaces.” 

Thomas is proud to contribute to an On-Time Delivery on the A320neo that has remained at 100% since he took up his position. This is the result of his acknowledged rigour, but also his enthusiasm. “In Safran, I am trusted to make decisions that help projects progress, and to put forward ways to improve things. It is highly motivating!” What’s next for Thomas? He is confident that life will open new doors for him. “I can see myself doing more in Project Management, perhaps in the Technical Department, in Industrialisation or in After-Sales Support, I am not sure yet. Experience has taught me that you cannot always predict the path you will follow, and that you should give your opportunities a chance!”