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.
Serving as the primary relationship owner for a portfolio of key strategic partners, suppliers, and contractors
Leading regular, structured partner performance reviews to track progress against contractual obligations, SLAs, milestones, and quality standards
Collaborating closely with Commercial and Legal teams to support the negotiation, drafting, and management of Statements of Work (SOWs), contract amendments, and change orders
Acting as the first point of escalation for all partner-related issues, driving resolution by facilitating communication and structured problem-solving between internal teams and external partners
Monitoring and reporting on partner performance, providing the Programme Lead with clear insights into supplier risks, dependencies, and opportunities
Proactively identifying and mitigating commercial and delivery risks within the supply chain before they can impact the programme’s critical path
Ensuring partner deliverables are seamlessly integrated into the master programme schedule and that dependencies are clearly understood and managed
Fostering a collaborative, not just contractual, relationship with partners to encourage innovation, transparency, and a shared sense of mission success
Have 4-5 years of experience in a role with significant commercial and/or vendor management responsibility, preferably within a major consulting firm
Have operated at a level equivalent to an Engagement Manager or Senior Consultant, where you were responsible for managing complex workstreams and client/vendor relationships
Possess strong commercial acumen and a deep understanding of contract management, including experience with SOWs, SLAs, and performance-based contracts
Are an exceptional negotiator and influencer, adept at building consensus and driving outcomes with senior stakeholders, both internal and external
Are a natural relationship builder, able to establish trust and credibility with partners while holding them accountable to rigorous standards
Have a proven track record of managing supplier performance, diagnosing issues, and implementing effective recovery plans
Are highly skilled in communicating complex commercial and performance data to an executive audience in a clear and impactful way
Combine strategic thinking with a pragmatic, hands-on approach to managing the details of contracts and deliverables
Are eligible to obtain and maintain the necessary level of security clearance
Bring a high degree of resilience, diplomacy, and commercial savvy to challenging situations
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.
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
A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking
Competitive compensation and VSOP options
Relocation support
Social and education allowances
Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe
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.
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The Programme Manager position at Helsing is based in Munich; München, Germany. This is an on-site position.
The Programme Manager position at Helsing is a Contract role.
The Programme Manager position at Helsing requires 4-5 yrs exp.
