Mechanical Designer

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 Mechanical Designer, you will own the design and development of mechanical parts and full assemblies for current and future drone products within Helsing's physical products and hardware engineering organisation. Working from requirements through to validated hardware, you will translate engineering constraints into robust, scalable, and cost-effective components. Your work spans the full design cycle: from concept and CAD documentation through to prototype integration and validation testing. The designs you deliver will directly determine the structural integrity, manufacturability, and operational reliability of Helsing's drone platforms.

The day-to-day

• Own the mechanical design of drone components and full assemblies from concept to validated hardware, producing 3D models and 2D drawings that meet ASME/ISO standards and manufacturing requirements

• Translate comprehensive requirements sets into design concepts, applying analytical assessments to standard mechanical elements such as bolts, bearings and fittings to verify form, fit and function

• Build and integrate prototypes hands-on, performing structured assessments to validate robustness, usability and ruggedised characteristics under operationally relevant conditions

• Plan and execute validation test campaigns that drive technical maturation and reduce programme risk at each design milestone

• Produce comprehensive design documentation in compliance with company quality standards and PLM workflows, ensuring traceability across the full product lifecycle

You should apply if you

• Have designed and delivered mechanical parts and assemblies for aerospace or similarly demanding applications, using 3D and 2D CAD tools such as SolidWorks/PDM or Siemens NX/Teamcenter

• Can apply ASME/ISO drawing standards and mechanical design standards confidently, including analytical assessment of standard mechanical components

• Have integrated and tested prototypes hands-on, using test outcomes to iterate and improve designs against defined requirements

• Communicate complex design intent clearly in written English, producing documentation that meets rigorous engineering quality standards within a PLM environment

• Act decisively with minimal guidance, own outcomes end-to-end and initiate solutions without waiting for direction

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

• Familiarity with design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) principles applied within fast-paced, iterative drone or UAV development programmes

• Experience working within structured product development processes, including requirements management and design review gating

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.