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Thales Doubles Down on Talent: 9,000+ New Hires across Middle East, Africa and Europe in 2026 as STEM Demand Surges.
Thales, the global leader in high technologies for Defence, Aerospace, and Cybersecurity & Digital, has announced plans to recruit more than 9,000 employees worldwide in 2026.
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The hiring drive follows the recruitment of 8,800 employees in 2025, surpassing the initial target of 8,000. Over the past five years, Thales has consistently recruited at least 8,000 people annually to support growth across its three business sectors.
Record Applications and Employer Appeal
In 2025, Thales received 1.4 million applications globally, exceeding the previous record of one million CVs received in 2024. The Universum ranking positioned Thales as the most attractive employer for engineering school students in France (up from second place in 2024).
Diversity and Inclusion at the Forefront
Strengthening diversity remains a strategic priority for the Group:
- Women accounted for 32% of all recruitments in 2025
- 69% of the Group’s management committees now include at least four women
- Thales aims to reach 75% in 2026
Thales is also committed to integrating people with disabilities, achieving an employment rate of over 7% in France in 2025.
Regional Breakdown: Middle East, Africa, and France
In 2026, Thales plans to recruit:
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150 people in the Middle East and Africa, including:
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60 in the United Arab Emirates
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30 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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In France, Thales will recruit 3,300 people across multiple regions:
- Île-de-France: 1,630
- Brittany: 290
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine: 280
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur: 270
- Occitanie: 250
- Centre-Val de Loire: 220
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: 180
- Pays de la Loire: 130
Skills in Demand: Engineering and Industry
Around 40% of new hires will be assigned to engineering roles, including:
- Software and systems engineering
- Cybersecurity
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data science
Another 25% will fill industrial positions, ranging from technicians and operators to engineers.
Internal Mobility and Lifelong Learning
Beyond external recruitment, approximately 3,500 employees will benefit from internal mobility opportunities, leveraging the variety of Thales’s three business sectors, roles, and geographic presence.
The Group’s “Learning Company” approach, supported by more than 35 internal academies, enables employees to continuously develop their skills and maintain Thales’s expertise at the highest level worldwide.
Inspiring the Next Generation in STEM
Thales is reinforcing its commitment to young talent through multiple initiatives:
Apprentices and Interns
In France alone, Thales will support in 2026:
- 1,700 trainees
- 1,600 apprentices (Bac+2 to Bac+5)
- 1,000 third-year students
- 500 second-year students
In 2025, apprentices and interns accounted for 15% of Thales’s recruitment in France.
Vocation Makers Programme
Through its “Vocation Makers” initiative, Thales engages young people aged 6 to 18 to spark interest in science and technology through site visits and educational presentations in schools. In 2025, the Group reached 250,000 students worldwide, from primary to high school levels.
STEM for All Scholarship Programme
Thales has launched the “STEM for All” programme, a scholarship and mentorship initiative in partnership with the French Academy of Technologies. Designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing STEM careers:
- 40 awards were given in France and Belgium in the inaugural year
- Each award includes a €5,000 grant and one year of mentorship from a Thales employee
- In 2026, the programme will expand to Czech Republic, Poland, Greece, Romania, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Brazil, and South Korea
Leadership Commentary
“We take great pride in seeing Thales’s appeal grow stronger year after year. The talented individuals who join us are driven by a desire to contribute to the development of sovereign, innovative, and sustainable solutions that the world needs more than ever. Together, we are shaping the future by inspiring an increasing number of young people, especially young women, to pursue careers in science and technology.”
— Patrice Caine, CEO of Thales
Candidates interested in the positions available at Thales can find out more and apply online at https://www.thalesgroup.com/fr/candidat and here for STEM for All.
