Head of Maritime Systems Engineering

Who we are

The role

As part of the Helsing Maritime leadership team, you will directly participate in our work with industry partners, procurement agencies and navies. You will take a central role in delivering solutions that can be deployed in the Maritime battlespace. Your work will require deep understanding of Maritime customer needs and how advanced technologies can help solve these. 

We are looking for a Maritime Systems Engineer with exceptional knowledge and execution drive. Reporting directly to the Maritime Domain Lead, you will be responsible for the design and implementation of all aspects of systems engineering for Helsing's Maritime domain.

Working closely with the delivery teams at the intersection between technical and project delivery within Helsing requires strategic oversight, aligning technical project activities across the Maritime portfolio. You are responsible for the on-time/quality/cost delivery of all Maritime systems engineering activities, ensuring they are aligned with product roadmaps and customer requirements. This includes the definition and implementation of all system engineering processes, which must manage regulatory, environmental, operational and technical requirements.

You will have the opportunity to expand the scope of your responsibility across all Maritime programmes at Helsing. You will shape and build the Maritime systems engineering organisation based on Helsing's current and future needs. This includes the strategic ramp-up of all required domain-specific systems engineering competencies, both by hiring leading-edge system engineers and by developing experts internally through training and coaching.

We have assembled a distinctive partnerships-and-programmes team across various fields of expertise and backgrounds. Together we lift ambitions and shape the thinking of our industry partners and customers on software and AI in defence, national security, and intelligence. You will work with and learn from leading experts to build lasting industry and customer relationships.

The day-to-day

No two days as a Systems Engineer at Helsing are the same and you may find yourself doing any (or all!) of the below on a day-to-day basis: 

• Develop system architecture that aligns with software and defence system requirements, and supervise system integration

• Act as a Subject Matter Expert for multiple project teams, offering guidance on vital defence system aspects such as Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) 

• Collaborate with software architects, developers, and other engineers to translate system-level requirements into effective software solutions 

• Responsible for overall system integration, verification, validation – and for qualification and certification (as far as required)

• Ensure a smooth flow of information and technical guidance between teams to align system and software development objectives 

• Conduct in-depth analysis to identify potential risks and system vulnerabilities 

• Establish and enforce quality assurance protocols to maintain compliant with industry standards 

• Manage project timelines, resources and budget to deliver projects within scope and on time

• Provide ongoing support to project teams, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality, reliable solutions 

• Identify emerging trends and propose new solutions to enhance Maritime defence systems 

• Ensure all solutions adhere to safety protocols and government regulations 

• Supporting marketing and business development in customer meetings and campaigns

You should apply if you

• Have a proven track record as a Systems Engineer in the defence or Maritime industry

• Have significant experience managing large scale defence or Maritime programmes 

• Have a university degree (or equivalent experience) in any subject relevant to these sectors, including but not limited to Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or a related field  

• Are IEng or CEng (or non-UK equivalent) or working towards chartered status.

• Are business fluent in English and: German and / or French

• Are a high performer who thrives in a fast-paced environment   

• Are collaborative, humble, and a problem-solver  

• Are ready to meet all necessary measures and requirements that are required to receive a security clearance according to the respective national laws  

Note: The above bullet points describe the ideal candidate. None of us matched all of these at once when we first joined Helsing. We encourage you to apply even if you believe you meet only part of our wish list.

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

• A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking

• Competitive compensation and stock options

• Relocation support

• Social and education allowances

• Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe