Workplace Manager

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 Workplace Manager in Barcelona, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of our local office, ensuring it runs smoothly, safely, and to a high standard. Working closely with local leadership and global workplace teams, you will coordinate external vendors, manage facilities, and deliver an inclusive, welcoming environment where people can do their best work. You will be the operational backbone of the Barcelona office, the person employees and visitors rely on to keep everything running well. THE DAY-TO-DAY - Coordinate and oversee all local vendors and suppliers, including cleaning, catering, security, and maintenance, holding partners accountable to agreed SLAs and ensuring consistent quality of service - Manage day-to-day facilities operations, including troubleshooting facility issues, maintaining safety standards, and ensuring the office is a functional, welcoming environment at all times - Support health, safety, and compliance requirements under Spanish occupational health and safety regulations (PRL/LPRL), coordinating risk assessments, emergency procedures, and liaison with local safety representatives - Track and report on the Barcelona workplace budget, processing invoices, monitoring spend against agreed allocations, and flagging variances to the relevant stakeholders - Coordinate local workplace events and cultural moments, including team breakfasts, after-work socials, and local celebrations, working alongside HR and local leadership to deliver a consistent, positive employee experience YOU SHOULD APPLY IF YOU - Have operated with full ownership of a workplace or office environment, managing vendors, suppliers, and facilities to a consistently high standard - Have hands-on experience negotiating and administering service contracts and holding external partners to agreed performance standards - Are fluent in Spanish and English (written and verbal) and have working knowledge of Spanish workplace regulations, including PRL/LPRL - Are well-organised, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing competing priorities across both operational tasks and employee-facing responsibilities - Handle sensitive information with discretion and build trusted relationships with both employees and external partners 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. NICE TO HAVE - Professional proficiency in Catalan and an existing network of trusted vendors, service providers, or real estate contacts in Barcelona - Practical experience supporting an office move, refurbishment, or build-out from planning through to completion 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: regularly 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 These are the core benefits across all locations, there may be additional benefits in certain locations. 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.