Lead Systems Engineer
Helsing
Lead Systems Engineer
Helsing
AI software and autonomous defense systems
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.
As the Lead Engineer for Active RF Sensing, you will own the end-to-end system engineering and integration of the airborne AESA radar, from initial requirements through to flight test and operational release. Your core responsibility is to translate mission needs into tangible radar performance requirements, develop the concept of operations, and drive the technical integration with the airframe and mission systems. This pivotal role involves managing the supplier relationship, ensuring compliance with low observability constraints, and leading the verification and test campaign to deliver a fully qualified, mission-ready sensor.
Own day-to-day system engineering and integration of airborne radar (AESA/MFR as applicable) from requirements through flight test and operational release.
Translate mission needs into radar performance requirements: detection range, RCS assumptions, coverage/scan, update rate, track quality, latency, and environmental constraints.
Develop and maintain radar concept of operations (CONOPS) and mode set (search, track, GMTI/MTI, SAR/ISAR as applicable), including mode scheduling and mission-phase behavior.
Drive antenna/aperture integration: placement, FOV/boresight alignment, radome impacts, thermal/structural constraints, and maintainability considerations.
Own RF performance.
Build and maintain end-to-end performance models.
Ensure radar supports low observability constraints: radome/RCS trade studies, edge treatments, leakage/spur control, and LPI considerations where applicable.
Plan and execute verification & test with a special focus on installed senor performance.
Coordinate with software/avionics teams on data interfaces.
Manage supplier technical control: review specs, acceptance tests, algorithm releases, and change requests; track issues to closure with objective evidence.
Define and maintain interfaces/ICDs to avionics and mission systems.
Produce program artifacts: requirements, verification matrices, test plans, performance reports, and flight readiness inputs.
Hold a relevant degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
Have experience in delivering airborne radar (AESA and/or MFR) capabilities through integration, test, and operational release.
Can translate operational scenarios into radar KPIs (range vs RCS, coverage/scan, revisit/update, track quality, latency) and flow them into verifiable requirements.
Have practical experience with radar modes and scheduling (search/track, MTI/GMTI, SAR/ISAR as applicable) and the trade space between detection, tracking, and resources.
Understand RF and antenna/aperture integration: placement, boresight alignment, radome effects, thermal/power constraints, and maintainability.
Have an LO/signature-aware mindset: radome/RCS trade-offs, leakage/spur control, and LPI concepts where applicable.
Have led verification & test (bench/HIL, chamber/anechoic, range/flight test support) and can debug from RF to software parameters.
Can own ICDs and supplier technical control: review evidence, manage changes, and drive issues to objective closure.
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.
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
A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking
Competitive compensation and VSOP options
Relocation support
Social and education allowances
Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe
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 develops AI software and autonomous systems for democratic governments, covering air, land, sea, and sub-surface domains. Its software combines data from drones, radar, satellites, cameras and other sensors to create a real-time operational picture that helps commanders detect threats and move quickly, while keeping key decisions under human control. Its product lineup includes AI-enabled strike drones (HF-1 / HX-2) for contested environments and underwater surveillance systems (SG-1 Fathom) for critical infrastructure. Helsing collaborates with European armed forces and partners such as Saab, Airbus and Kongsberg, and has supported Ukraine since 2022. The company has raised large rounds of funding, with a focus on expanding AI platforms and autonomous systems for partner nations. Its goal is to provide robust, field-ready AI-powered platforms that enable faster, safer decision-making and action in defense while maintaining governance over critical choices.
Explore more opportunities at Helsing