The posting, in Helsing's own words
archived Sep 30, 2026Who 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
Airworthiness is a system-level requirement. We cannot certify an aircraft if the launcher or the control link hasn’t been rigorously de-risked. This role professionalizes our Ground-Side Engineering, moving our failure rate from the expensive flight-test phase to the low-cost laboratory phase. It is an investment in crash prevention and regulatory compliance.
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The day-to-day
· Pre-Flight De-risking: Executing high-repetition "burn-in" tests on all new firmware and hardware configurations for the Ground Control Station and data links . · Launch System Validation: Engineering tests for mechanical launch systems to ensure repeatable, safe exit velocities and structural integrity . · The "Iron Bird" Connection: Acting as the link to the IRB Team by maintaining a ground-based "Iron Bird" to test system-wide reactions to simulated component failures . · Regression Library: Building a library of ground-side edge cases and failure cases that must be passed before any new sub-system is cleared for flight integration . · Documentation of Proof: Generating technical "De-risking Reports" and managing relevant testing cards in JIRA .
You should apply if you
· Infrastructure & GSE Mastery: Deep technical understanding of Ground Control Stations (GCS), pneumatic/mechanical launchers, tracking antenna arrays, and ruggedized power and control systems. · Interface & Protocol Testing: Ability to sniff and analyse communication protocols between ground and air (IRONBIRD) to de-risk command-and-control latency and packet loss. · HIL/SIL Setup: Experience building and maintaining Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) environments to simulate flight triggers on the bench. · Environmental & Stress Testing: Competence in vibration, thermal, and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) "torture tests" on supporting hardware to ensure field survivability. · Diagnostic Tooling: Skilled in the use of oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, and network protocol analysers to perform root-cause analysis on ground-side hardware failures. 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
· Bachelor's degree (B.Sc. or B.Eng.) in a relevant engineering discipline. · Prior exposure to defense, dual-use, or regulated hardware in a test context is strongly preferred. · Experience in an aerospace or defense environment operating under ITAR/EAR or equivalent national defense export control frameworks is an advantage.