Lead Electronics Engineer Hardware Engineering Munich - Berlin - London - Paris - Warsaw - Tall[...]

• Munich - Berlin - London - Paris - Warsaw - Tallinn; Plymouth

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 Lead Electronics Engineer, you will define and own the electronic architecture for Helsing's marine robotic systems — from early concept through to validated, production‑ready hardware. This role sits at a critical intersection: your designs will directly enable the AI, software, navigation and control systems that give Helsing's platforms their autonomous capabilities.

You will work closely with AI and software engineers to ensure that hardware interfaces, sensor integration, and power architectures meet the demands of on‑board inference and real‑time autonomy. Alongside navigation and control engineers, you will shape how electronic subsystems support guidance, communication, and mission‑critical decision‑making at sea. You will also collaborate with mechatronics and test engineers to ensure that designs are robust, manufacturable, and validated under operational conditions. Your technical leadership will be essential in making coherent architectural decisions across these disciplines, delivering scalable and cost‑effective electronics that strengthen the capabilities of platforms such as the SG‑1 Fathom and the Lura AI system — directly supporting the defence of democratic nations.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the end‑to‑end electronic architecture for marine robotic subsystems, ensuring consistency across hardware, software, AI, and navigation and control interfaces.
• Lead the selection of components, define specifications, and establish electronic design standards that balance performance, cost, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with AI and software engineers to design hardware interfaces that support on‑board inference, sensor fusion, and autonomous decision‑making.
• Work with navigation and control engineers to ensure electronic subsystems meet the requirements for guidance, communication, and real‑time control.
• Design schematics and PCB layouts in coordination with mechatronics engineers, ensuring proper form, fit, and function through analytical and simulation tools.
• Mentor and guide engineers within the electronics discipline, raising the quality bar for design reviews, documentation, and technical decision‑making.
• Drive validation and verification campaigns — defining test strategies, performing hardware bring‑up, and leading electrical troubleshooting to mature designs toward production readiness.
• Produce and maintain comprehensive design documentation in line with Helsing's quality standards, including 2D/3D deliverables and manufacturing packages.

Qualifications

• Hold a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Have designed, built, and validated complex electronic systems from concept through to production (schematic capture, PCB layout, and hardware integration).
• Have led or mentored other engineers on electronics design decisions, design reviews, or technical direction.
• Have deep knowledge of electronic component integration, including experience using ECAD/MCAD interfaces to realise tightly packaged assemblies.
• Have collaborated directly with software, AI, or control systems engineers to deliver integrated hardware‑software solutions.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly in English, both written and verbal, and can represent your discipline in cross‑functional discussions.

Nice to Have

• Have designed electronics for maritime embedded systems, autonomous platforms, or similarly constrained operational environments.
• Have practical experience with EMC design, testing, and certification.
• Have worked with battery management systems or robotic power distribution architectures.
• Have experience designing hardware interfaces for AI inference modules, sensor arrays, or autonomous navigation systems.
• Have contributed to design‑for‑manufacture processes, including collaboration with contract electronics manufacturers.

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‑magnification 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.
• A hands‑on onboarding program (affectionately labelled “Infraduction”), in which you will be building tooling and applications to be used across the company. This is your opportunity to learn our tech stack, explore the company, and learn how we get things done — all whilst working with other engineering teams from day one.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.