Mission Systems Architect

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 a Mission Systems Architect at Helsing, you will define and drive the functional, logical and physical architectures underpinning our software-defined mission system for the future combat air domain. Working at the intersection of hardware, software and systems engineering, you will guide partner organisations developing mission computer hardware, ensure the right integration infrastructure is in place, and provide technical direction to the software team. Your work will shape how autonomous mission systems are built, from inception through to flight test.

The day-to-day

• Define and own the mission system architecture, establishing the technical foundation that enables safe, certified and autonomous capability from requirements through to qualification

• Guide and govern partner organisations developing mission computer hardware, ensuring alignment with integration requirements, avionics communications architecture and real-time performance constraints

• Lead the systems engineering lifecycle across the full development programme, driving technical deliverables, compliance documentation and adherence to relevant aviation and military standards

• Act as the primary technical interface between the mission systems and software teams, translating architectural intent into actionable guidance that accelerates software development against the product vision

• Report programme status and technical changes to Chief Engineering and Programme Management, providing clear, evidence-based insight that supports timely decision-making

You should apply if you

• Have built and delivered airborne mission system architectures for military applications, with a clear vision for how next-generation, software-defined systems should be designed to support autonomous use cases

• Possess deep knowledge of Integrated Modular Avionics platforms, including systems engineering, certification, and integration of airborne mission computers

• Understand mission system sensor domains, including communications, optics, radar and self-defence systems, and can translate that understanding into robust architectural decisions

• Are fluent in military open standards for avionics (such as MOSA, SOSA, FACE and Pyramid) and their application to hardware development

• Have hands-on experience applying DO-178C, DO-254 and DO-297 to complex hardware and software development, and can communicate technical outcomes clearly to both engineering teams and senior stakeholders

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

• Have taken a military airborne system through the full lifecycle, from concept design to flight test

• Bring direct experience working with military certification authorities and applying relevant military airworthiness standards

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

• 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 : regularly 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 certain locations.

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 .