Chief Engineer

About Us

At Harmattan AI, we are a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Driven by rigorous engineering developments of new defense products based on recent robotics and AI developments, we are on a steep growth trajectory. If you are interested in a career in a highly technical environment, thrive on pushing boundaries, and want to achieve ambitious goals, we would love to hear from you.

About the Role

As a Chief Engineer, you will own the architecture, system definition and implementation of one of our robotic systems — from concept to field deployment. You will work hand-in-hand with project managers and technical leads to translate mission needs into system-level designs, coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, and ensure overall system performance, robustness, and reliability.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture: Transform system requirements into architectures solutions.

• Technical Coordination: Lead cross-functional design across mechanical, electrical, software, GNC, and ML teams.

• Trade-Off & Design Analysis: Conduct feasibility studies, trade-off analyses, and system-level simulations to guide technical choices.

• Integration & Validation: Oversee system integration, prototyping, and validation, ensuring performance targets are achieved.

• System Reviews: Drive design and architecture reviews, maintaining consistency between requirements, design, and testing.

• Continuous Improvement: Implement processes to enhance requirements traceability, system documentation, and validation workflows.

Candidate Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in system engineering within robotics, aerospace, or defense sectors.

• MSc in Engineering (any field); PhD is a plus.

• Proven experience leading full system lifecycles (concept → prototype → validation).

• Strong background in system architecture, requirements engineering, and trade-off analysis.

• Broad engineering culture with understanding of mechanical, electrical, and embedded systems.

• Experience coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and managing technical interfaces.

• Rigorous, structured, and mission-driven mindset with strong analytical skills.

• Excellent communication and documentation abilities.

• Bonus: Experience with UAS or defense systems.

Location and Commitments

• Contract Type: Permanent contract

• Work Schedule: Full-time

• Availability: ASAP

• Location: Paris or Lausanne

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.