Product & Engineering Lead

Bifrost Defence is a Copenhagen-based defence technology company building dual-use products for NATO allies and partner nations. We're scaling from 3 to 6 frontline products in 2026, working with end-users across Ministries of Defence, SOCOM, and Ukraine. The company operates within the Bifrost Studios venture ecosystem.

We're hiring a Product & Engineering Lead to own the full product and engineering track across existing and new validations, from the first rough prototype through supplier qualification, iteration, and scalable production. You'll work across disciplines, coordinate our Ukraine workshop, and build the technical and commercial cases that determine what we build next and how we build it cost-effectively. This is a generalist engineering leadership role for someone who thrives on turning concepts into fielded hardware under real-world constraints.

Tasks

• Take hardware through the full development lifecycle: TRL progression, design iterations, supplier qualification, and production ramp. Apply solid engineering judgement to balance performance, cost, and speed.
• Manage output and process quality from our in-country Ukraine workshop. Coordinate with the local team and front-line operators, keeping production moving under non-standard operating conditions.
• Translate product concepts into production plans: costing BOMs, scoping supply chains, identifying key risks, and presenting credible paths to scale.
• Own supplier management and qualification end-to-end, maintaining quality and delivery timelines across distributed manufacturing partners.Determine which new product opportunities are worth pursuing and how to resource them, building the technical and commercial case for leadership.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation, test & validation plans, and production readiness reporting.

Requirements

• Hands-on hardware development background in any discipline (mechanical, electronic, electromechanical, or systems).
• Experience taking products from prototype to production (TRL 4-9), including DFM, tolerance analysis, or test & validation.
• Supplier management and BOM costing experience with supply chain awareness.
• Production planning experience in fast-moving or resource-constrained environments.
• Autonomous and decisive. You make calls with imperfect information and don't wait to be told what to do.
• Fluent with remote coordination across time zones and cultures, with strong written communication.
• Defence, aerospace, or regulated hardware sector experience is a plus. Prior work in a defence startup or for a Prime/Neo-Prime is ideal.

Benefits

What We Offer

• Competitive salary based on market standards
• Bonus program for outstanding performance
• Work that matters—building technology that keeps Europe safe and sovereign
• A seat on a rocket with experienced entrepreneurs and investors
• Hard but rewarding work with a mission-driven team

1. Initial conversation to explore fit and background.
2. Interview focused on execution approach, analytical thinking, and working with senior stakeholders.
3. Case assessment: a concrete engineering or product problem relevant to defence hardware operations.
4. Final interview with founders and offer.