Systems Engineer - Physical Products

WHO WE ARE Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards.  As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.  We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.  THE ROLE As a Systems Engineer / Architect, you are responsible for both the architectural design and the hands-on implementation of complex systems for Helsing’s mechatronic and software-defined programmes. You will act as the visionary who defines how the system fits together, as well as the "builder" who actively makes it work. You will translate high-level operational concepts into robust physical and logical architectures, partitioning complex multi-domain systems across hardware and software. At the same time, you are not an "ivory-tower" theorist—you will spend significant time in the lab integrating hardware, debugging mechatronic issues, and validating that the physical product meets your design intent. Working closely with mechanical, electrical, and AI engineering teams, you will utilise Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies to track subsystems and define critical interfaces. In this role, you are responsible for bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI software and high-performance physical hardware, ensuring on-time and high-quality technical delivery. THE DAY-TO-DAY - Develop and own the overarching system architecture for complex, multi-domain platforms (e.g., drones, sensor pods, ground support systems), partitioning them into manageable hardware and software subsystems. - Act as the primary owner of the system model, utilising Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools (e.g., Cameo, Enterprise Architect) and SysML to document system behaviours, state machines, and interfaces. - Actively participate in the physical integration of mechatronic systems in the lab and field, working directly with hardware and software to test, troubleshoot, and validate performance. - Lead multidisciplinary trade-off analyses (e.g., SWaP-C: Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) to determine the most effective, scalable architectural solutions. - Translate high-level architectures into detailed subsystem and component specifications, establishing clear requirements and interface control documents (ICDs). - Conduct system-level testing, analyse test data, and support complex root-cause analysis on failures to drive rapid design iterations. - Collaborate daily with software architects, hardware developers, and AI engineers to ensure system-level alignment and technical consistency across all disciplines. - Identify emerging trends and propose new structural solutions to enhance our physical defence systems and their integration with AI capabilities. YOU SHOULD APPLY IF YOU - Have 4+ years of hands-on experience in systems engineering and/or system architecture for complex mechatronic, defence, aerospace, or autonomous systems. - Have practical expertise in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and SysML, alongside a strong foundation in requirements management. - Possess a "builder's mindset"—you are comfortable working in a lab environment, reading electrical schematics, navigating 3D CAD models, and using basic diagnostic tools. - Have in-depth knowledge of how to bridge physical engineering realities (electromechanical design, embedded systems, sensors) with advanced software/AI architectures. - Have a university degree in Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. - Are business fluent in English (German language skills are a strong asset). - Are willing to travel. - Your personal values match ours: ownership, initiative, dedication to mission, speed and inclusiveness. - Are a high performer who thrives in a fast-paced environment. - Are collaborative, humble and a problem-solver. Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points. JOIN HELSING AND WORK WITH WORLD-LEADING EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS  - Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns - The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world - Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defence industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward - In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts - We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practise responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about WHAT WE OFFER - Competitive salary and VSOP options - Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation - Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance - Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health) - Social: regular company events and monthly social allowances - Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers - Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work - A hands-on onboarding program (affectionately labelled “Infraduction”), in which you will be building tooling and applications to be used across the company. This is your opportunity to learn our tech stack, explore the company, and learn how we get things done - all whilst working with other engineering teams from day one    Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.