Thales Isn’t Just for Engineers: How Mentoring Through SistersIN Opens Doors
- Sisters IN
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Thales is a global technology company, but at our core we’re a team of people who care about solving real-world problems and building a safer future. That’s one of the reasons our partnership with SistersIN matters so much to us. We want young women to see that they belong in this industry, that their ideas are needed, and that there are many ways to build a meaningful career here.
Mentoring is a big part of that. When we spend time with students, it gives them a chance to share honest experiences, what they’ve learned, what surprised them, and how they found their own path. Those conversations can help with confidence and help young women picture themselves in roles they may never have considered.
While engineering is a huge part of what we do, there is a lot more. Thales brings together people in project management, finance, HR, cybersecurity, data, supply chain, communications and more. That mix of skills is what makes our work possible.
Full Name: Amy Clarke
Job Title: Technical Publications and Product Training Apprentice
Department: Defense Training and Maintenance (Engineering)
Years at Thales: 1.5 years
What inspired you to become a mentor with SistersIN?
Answer: Throughout school I was always the only girl in my technology and engineering classes, and it never really bothered me until I was thinking about getting a job related to it. I didn’t know any girls/ women in the engineering field personally, so it felt like getting a job somewhere like Thales would be impossible. I want to prove to other young girls that I was wrong, and there are so many opportunities for us.
Why do partnerships like SistersIN matter to Thales?
Answer: Partnerships like SistersIN matter to Thales because they help us genuinely connect with young women and show them what’s possible in our world. They also push us to keep growing as an organisation by encouraging our people to mentor, share their experiences, and support future talent in a real, hands on way.
Full Name: Caitlin Gilchrist-Millar
Job Title: Directed Energy Systems Architect
Department: Directed Energy Systems Capability Development (Technical Directorate)
Years at Thales: 3.5 years
What inspired you to become a mentor with SistersIN?
Answer: I am passionate about empowering young women to get involved in STEM subjects and jumped at the opportunity to mentor with SistersIN. As a female with a Physics background, I have experienced what it is like to pursue a career where you are often the minority and feel that it is important to pass on some of the skills and knowledge I have gained throughout my journey so far.
What skills or qualities do you hope your SistersIN mentee develops?
Answer: Recognising your strengths and achievements can be challenging but it is crucial for both career development and self-confidence. I hope my mentee develops the confidence to strive towards a career that utilises their unique strengths and talents, regardless of stereotypes and outside biases. There is a huge amount of opportunity out there if you are willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone and harness your potential.
Full Name: Anita Glenn
Job Title: Senior Project Manager
Department: Integrated Airspace Protection Systems
How does your role challenge the perception that Thales is only for engineers?
Answer: As a senior project manager at Thales with no engineering background, my role directly challenges the common perception that Thales is exclusively for engineers. While engineering expertise is undoubtedly core to many of Thales’ innovative solutions, the company thrives because of a diverse range of skills and perspectives coming together.
Project management is critical to ensuring complex projects are delivered on time, within scope and within budget. My responsibilities include coordinating multidisciplinary teams, managing stakeholder expectations, risk mitigation and aligning project objectives with broader business goals. These tasks require strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills—competencies not limited to engineering.
Thales is a multidisciplinary environment where specialists in finance, operations, logistics, human resources, legal and project management play vital roles in supporting and complementing the technical teams. My experience has shown me that success at Thales depends on collaboration across varied fields and that non-engineering roles are essential for turning cutting-edge technologies into real-world solutions.
In essence, my journey at Thales highlights the company’s inclusive culture and the broad spectrum of career opportunities available beyond engineering, proving that innovation is not just about technology—it’s also about effective teamwork and strategic execution.
What does a typical day in your role look like, and what skills matter most?
Answer: As a Senior Project Manager at Thales, no two days are the same, but the core of my work revolves around ensuring projects run smoothly from start to finish. A typical day often involves balancing a mix of strategic planning, team coordination and proactive problem-solving.
Throughout the day, I’m often coordinating resources, tracking budgets, and managing schedules to keep the project on track. I also spend time analysing data and performance indicators to make informed decisions and adjust plans as needed. Finally, I ensure that documentation and reporting meet both internal standards and client requirements.
The skills that matter most in my role include:
Leadership: Guiding diverse teams toward common objectives and maintaining motivation.
Communication: Clearly conveying information and expectations across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Organization: Managing multiple tasks, timelines, and resources efficiently.
Problem-solving: Quickly identifying issues and implementing effective solutions.
Adaptability: Navigating changing priorities and project dynamics with flexibility.
Ultimately, a Senior Project Manager must blend strategic vision with practical execution, fostering collaboration to deliver complex projects successfully. It’s a role that requires both big-picture thinking and attention to detail, skills that enable Thales to innovate while meeting commitments.
Full Name: Anna Sloan
Job Title: Project Planning and Controls Apprentice
Department: Project Planning
Years at Thales: 1 year
What inspired you to become a mentor with SistersIN?
Answer: When in secondary school, I had struggled with English writing skills and as a result had received mentoring from a student in the year above me as well as was enrolled in a sixth-form ran club to provide any additional support we needed, without this mentoring I don’t believe I would have achieved the grades in English I did.
The following year I had the opportunity to mentor students in the year below to continue the cycle and when I had made it to sixth form, I ran the Technology and Design variant of it for the younger years in school. The experience of being both a mentor and the mentee inspired me, so when I had the opportunity to mentor through SistersIN this time outside of academic studies I felt it was important as well as enjoyable to give back. My pursuit of enrolling to be a mentor is a result of those positive experiences, I wanted to continue the path of mentoring as far as into my life after school had ended.
What experiences or pathways led you into your current role at Thales?
Answer: I first applied to Thales to be an engineering apprentice, I was rejected before I even made it to the interview stage, but this didn’t discourage me. Instead of taking the place I was offered at university I decided to take a gap year and told myself I had to explore as many careers as possible. That I very much did, I enrolled myself in a year long Bakery course to achieve a certification, just to put myself out of my comfort zone.
I went to a secondary school where it was very much expected that you would go to university, apprenticeships or taking a year out weren’t really something that was discussed so I admittedly struggled at the start especially as most of my friends all had enrolled in university and thought I had made a big mistake not pursuing that path.
After about 7 months of exploration, I had decided I wanted to focus on a career outside of engineering but ideally still be involved in a role where the avenue of engineering wouldn’t be unachievable if I decided to pursue it so I decided to revisit the idea of an apprenticeship upon returning to my search I came across Thales’s Project Planning and Controls Apprenticeship, this was what I was looking for exactly. I knew where my strengths lay and the role sounded like it would be a great way to get an oversite into an engineering company without being in an engineer.
Final Thoughts...
At Thales in the UK, we believe that mentoring plays a vital role in nurturing talent and fostering innovation. It helps to build a supportive community were everyone can thrive. Our partnership with SistersIN enhances our commitment to introduce more young people into STEM and opens exciting pathways for young women to explore develop their confidence and leadership skills. We would encourage all young women to seek out mentoring opportunities such as SistersIN to further explore what opportunities are available across business and industry in Northern Ireland.
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