MCO Manager
Alta Ares
MCO Manager
Alta Ares
Autonomous AI defense and ISTAR platform
Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.
Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.
Responsibilities
Build Alta Ares' MCO offer from scratch: service packages, SLAs and pricing.
Own the MCO P&L and support Sales in negotiating MCO contracts with defence customers.
Set up and steer fleet performance KPIs (availability, MTBF, MTTR).
Design the maintenance organisation across customers, local partners and Alta Ares.
Ensure spare parts availability and long-term support of critical components.
Coordinate software and fleet upgrades with R&D and Production.
Build customer training programmes.
Hire and lead the MCO team as contracts grow.
Candidate Profile
8 to 12 years in defense or aerospace, including building and running an MCO or in-service support contract.
P&L ownership and contract negotiation with government customers.
Track record of building a team or an activity from zero.
Solid command of reliability and availability metrics.
Fluent in English and additionally in French
Willing to travel internationally; eligible for French security clearance.
Alta Ares builds an autonomous AI defense stack for air defense and ISTAR missions, combining hardware interceptors, software for sensing and decision-making, and a mission-management layer to operate in GNSS-denied environments. It includes Black Bird, a turbojet interceptor for mid-long range threats, and X-Lock, a multirotor interceptor for drone swarms, both with AI-guided terminal guidance that works under jamming. Its software lineup features Pixel Lock for counter-UAS detection and guidance, Gamma ISTAR for real-time edge video intelligence, and Cyclops for sensor fusion and mission planning. The company positions itself as a sovereign European builder serving allied nations from the Baltic to the Indo-Pacific, aiming to provide interoperable, rapidly deployable defense capabilities and to grow its sovereign industrial base; it has a €50M Series A in June 2026 and was the first investment of Airbus-backed E2D defence fund.
Explore more opportunities at Alta Ares