Commercial Director

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

Helsing is seeking a senior commercial leader to devise and implement a strategic engagement framework with the National Armaments Director Group and DE&S. You will draw on a deep stakeholder network and a track record of delivering major defence programmes, aligning incentives between industry and government. With broad scope and responsibility, you will bridge the cultures of defence procurement and a fast-moving technology company, bringing credibility to both environments and translating complex procurement landscapes into clear, actionable strategies that advance Helsing's mission.

The day-to-day

• Devise and implement a comprehensive engagement strategy with the National Armaments Director Group and DE&S, creating the conditions for Helsing to secure major UK defence programmes

• Build and activate a senior network across UK and allied defence procurement organisations, using those relationships to align requirements, timelines, and procurement structures at the earliest possible stage

• Collaborate with Campaign Leads and senior leadership to ensure procurement strategy is tightly integrated with Helsing's commercial objectives and mission priorities

• Represent Helsing at senior-level forums, bilateral engagements, and industry events, acting as a credible and informed voice across both procurement and technology communities

• Develop internal frameworks and guidance that help Helsing navigate MoD procurement cycles effectively, reducing friction and increasing the organisation's readiness to respond to major opportunities

You should apply if you

• Have a demonstrable track record of shaping or delivering major UK defence procurement programmes at a senior level, with outcomes you can speak to directly, even from within government or from industry.

• Bring an established network within DE&S, the National Armaments Director Group, or equivalent defence procurement bodies that you can activate from day one

• Have operated effectively at the interface of government procurement and industry, navigating both cultures with credibility and ease

• Can translate complex procurement landscapes into clear strategic priorities, communicating these effectively to a technical and commercially focused leadership team

• Have led or made significant contributions to the development of defence engagement strategies, including stakeholder mapping, positioning, and relationship management

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

• Experience gained through a secondment in industry, a consulting environment, or another cross-sector role that bridges procurement and commercial strategy

• Direct experience of transitioning from a senior DE&S or equivalent government procurement role into an industry-facing position

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: regularly 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

These are the core benefits across all locations, there may be additional benefits in certain locations.

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.