Systems Engineer - Low Observability Testing

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

You will own how we prove that our aircraft are hard to detect. While design teams shape geometry and materials, you will show whether those choices hold up under measurement. You will set the low observability (LO) testing roadmap, specify and build our own radar cross-section (RCS) and infrared (IR) test facilities, and define the procedures by which signature performance is verified. You will also scope and supervise the work of external measurement laboratories, then scrutinise the data they return. Your standards will become the reference point for every LO measurement we make, and your evidence will inform design decisions on a flagship aircraft programme.

The day-to-day

• Build and maintain the multi-year LO testing roadmap, so that measurement capability is in place before each programme milestone requires it

• Specify, design and commission in-house LO test facilities, such as anechoic chambers, compact or far-field ranges, pylon systems and radar hardware, including calibration regimes that hold measurement uncertainty within agreed limits

• Write master verification and validation test plans for RCS and IR signature measurement at component, subsystem and full-aircraft level

• Produce detailed test procedures that deliver consistent, repeatable results across campaigns, sites and suppliers

• Define statements of work for subcontracted testing, guide those suppliers technically, and accept or reject delivered measurement data on evidence

You should apply if you

• Have planned and run RCS measurement campaigns, and can trace a signature result back to the physics and the test set-up that produced it

• Have specified, built or operated antenna or RCS test facilities, including near-field, far-field or compact ranges

• Work fluently with high-frequency measurement equipment such as vector network analysers, signal generators and spectrum analysers

• Apply systems engineering practice to verification and validation, from requirements through test plans to signed-off test reports

• Communicate technical reasoning clearly in written and spoken in English and German, to customers as well as engineering colleagues

• Hold, or are willing and able to obtain, an extended German security clearance (erweiterte Sicherheitsüberprüfung, Ü2 or Ü3)

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 measuring infrared signatures alongside radar cross-section

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

These are the core benefits across all locations; there may be additional benefits in specific sites.

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.