Drone System Validation Technician and Pilot
About the job
- A technical degree or equivalent hands-on experience in electronics, mechanics, or RC modeling is required.
- Confirmed drone-pilot experience is required.
- Strong manual and technical skills in soldering, wiring, mechanical assembly, and troubleshooting hardware in the field are required.
- The candidate must be comfortable working outdoors and doing physically active work, including loading a vehicle and spending full days in the field in all weather.
- The candidate must be willing to travel and hold a valid driving licence for frequent local field campaigns.
- Working-level English proficiency (A2 minimum) is required.
- Work alongside the validation engineer to prepare, set up, and run test campaigns, and build and prepare the tooling, fixtures, and test setups needed for each campaign.
- Pilot drones during tests and act as safety operator, from routine flights to more demanding campaigns.
- Set up test sites, load and prepare the test vehicle or truck, deploy and connect systems under test, and run campaigns safely.
- Run test protocols and checklists rigorously, and report results, anomalies, and their frequency clearly so engineering can act on them.
- Prepare, assemble, repair, and upgrade the equipment being flown and tested, including soldering, wiring, mechanical assembly, and part replacement, to keep campaigns moving.
- CAD and 3D-printing skills are a strong plus for designing and producing tooling and fixtures in-house.
- Basic Linux familiarity for operating systems and fetching and handling logs is a plus.
- A basic understanding of flight-computer or autopilot systems is a bonus.
- French or Arabic language skills are a plus.
About the company
Harmattan AI builds vertically integrated autonomous defense systems for NATO and allied forces. Its products include layered air defence, coordinated ISR and strike UAVs, electronic-warfare tools, and command-and-control platforms, all powered by a software-defined autonomy stack. The systems are designed to operate together, with autonomous decision-making, sensor fusion, and mission execution through its C2 framework. The company differentiates itself through large-scale industrial manufacturing, secured Programs of Record with European and UK defense ministries, and a strategic partnership with Dassault Aviation to embed Harmattan’s controlled autonomy into combat-air systems such as Rafale F5 and UCAS. The goal is to provide trusted, scalable autonomous solutions for defense missions, expanding globally and embedding autonomy into partner platforms to strengthen allied capabilities.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Series B
Total Funding
$242M
Headquarters
Paris, France
Founded
2024
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- July 2026 NAMIB testing linked a drone sensor to Rafale targeting in flight.
- June 2026 France ordered 5,000 Sonora ISR drones after a prior 1,000-unit tranche.
- September 2026 Series B raised $200 million at $1.4 billion, funding global expansion.
What critics are saying
- Defence procurement concentration in France and UK ties revenue to two ministries.
- Harmattan claims 10,000 drones monthly, but public production audits remain absent.
- A high-profile Rafale or NATO autonomy failure could freeze deployment and kill trust.
What makes Harmattan AI unique
- Dassault embeds Harmattan autonomy into Rafale F5 and UCAS programs.
- Harmattan ships ISR, strike, EW, and C2 systems from one software stack.
- France and UK Programs of Record validate procurement traction against European peers.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Flexible Work Hours
- Remote Work Options
- Paid Vacation
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Company Equity
- Stock Options
- Wellness Program
- Mental Health Support