Lead Systems Engineer - Avionics Communication

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 an Avionics Systems Engineer focusing on communications, you will define the end-to-end architecture for airborne systems encompassing data, voice, and mission-critical links. By collaborating with industry partners and platform teams, you will integrate emerging technologies into critical air platforms. You will engage with diverse partners, suppliers, and government stakeholders to align on standards and interoperability. Your work will fundamentally shape the future of airborne mission systems, taking ownership of the system from initial definition through development and ultimate deployment. You will accomplish this by collaborating alongside a high-calibre team of specialists, strategists, and partners to deliver impactful results.

The day-to-day

• Guide the system design and development of airborne and ground-based communication architectures, leveraging modern technologies to deliver operational advantages
• Foster collaborative relationships with stakeholders, partners, suppliers, and government bodies to ensure seamless integration
• Oversee the complete systems engineering lifecycle, advancing concepts from initial requirements through to full qualification
• Prepare and supervise rigorous testing protocols at both the system and aircraft levels, encompassing flight tests
• Produce comprehensive certification and compliance documentation, ensuring strict adherence to aviation and regulatory standards throughout development
• Provide transparent reporting on project status and technical developments to engineering and programme management teams

You should apply if you

• Hold a degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline
• Have defined and developed military or civil communication architectures for air platforms
• Possess deep knowledge of communication technology, encompassing software-defined radios, data links, air-to-air and air-to-ground communications, cybersecurity, RF, and SATCOM
• Understand network management, antenna design, electronic warfare, and secure communications
• Demonstrate clear and efficient communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical findings to diverse internal and external audiences
• Are committed to remaining at the forefront of current research and technological advancements

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

• Bring established familiarity with aircraft certification processes and avionics integration
• Have practical experience overseeing live flight test programmes

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: 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

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.