Technical Lead Engineer, UAV Development

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 Technical Lead Engineer, UAV Development, you will serve as the primary technical authority for the integration and optimisation of Helsing's complex drone systems, working across mechanical, electrical, thermal, avionics and flight software disciplines. You will govern requirements, manage Interface Control Documents and lead verification and validation from simulation through to flight test.  

The day-to-day

• Lead multi-disciplinary engineering integration across mechanical structures, electrical distribution, thermal management, avionics and flight software, establishing Interface Control Documents and maintaining full requirements traceability from system level to subsystem throughout the product lifecycle 

• Define and lead the verification and validation strategy, governing test protocols from simulation and bench testing through to flight-test campaigns, ensuring every system-level requirement is demonstrably satisfied before programme milestones 

• Lead technical risk assessments including DFMEA and Functional Hazard Assessments, defining mitigation strategies that guarantee system safety and reliability in flight and ensure compliance with relevant regulations including EASA, FAA and SORA frameworks 

• Establish engineering workflows and chair critical design reviews including PDR and CDR, providing the technical authority that determines design maturity, cost-efficiency and scalability at each programme gate 

• Act as the primary technical interface for critical suppliers, manufacturing partners and customers on subsystem procurement, integration and technical negotiations, ensuring supplier outputs meet system requirements and programme timelines 

You should apply if you

• Have led multi-disciplinary hardware and software integration programmes as technical lead, systems engineer or lead architect within aerospace, robotics or UAV development, with a strong foundational background in mechanical engineering and broad expertise across electrical, thermal and flight software domains 

• Have defined and managed system-level requirements and Interface Control Documents using tools such as Jama or DOORS, applying V-model development processes and systems engineering methodologies to maintain traceability across complex product lifecycles 

• Have led verification and validation strategies across simulation, bench and flight-test environments, and are familiar with aviation standards such as DO-160 or ARP4754, or civil and military drone regulatory frameworks 

• Have chaired design reviews, governed technical risk assessments and acted as the primary technical interface for suppliers and customers, translating complex engineering trade-offs into clear decisions that keep programmes on track 

• Act decisively with minimal guidance, own outcomes end-to-end and initiate solutions without waiting for direction 

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

• Hands-on CAD and PLM experience using SolidWorks, Siemens NX or Teamcenter, with familiarity in ECAD and MCAD collaboration workflows within complex electromechanical integration programmes 

• Experience working within dual-use or export-controlled UAV programmes, including the documentation and compliance rigour required for regulatory submissions to civil or military airworthiness authorities 

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 andVSOP 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.

Helsing's Candidate Privacy and Confidentiality Regime can be found here.