Manufacturing Engineer

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 Manufacturing Engineer at Helsing, you will be a hands-on individual contributor sitting at the intersection of design and production — the person who makes sure what is designed can actually be built, reliably and at scale. Working directly with our design engineering and R&D teams, you will shape how new products are introduced to the factory floor, own the process from NPI through to stable production ramp, and apply your practical knowledge of manufacturing processes to solve real problems before they become production constraints. This is not a coordination role — you will be in the detail, on the floor, and accountable for the quality and efficiency of the processes you define. Your work directly enables Helsing to translate advanced technology into fielded capabilities that protect democratic nations.

The day-to-day

• Define, design, and validate manufacturing processes for new product introductions (NPI) and significant design changes, owning delivery from concept through to stable production ramp
• Embed with design engineering from the earliest concept phase, providing hands-on DFM and DFA input that materially improves producibility and reduces downstream risk
• Analyse manufacturing capacities, define cycle times and Taktzeiten for new production steps, and perform line balancing to hit throughput and efficiency targets
• Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and process risks early, and develop concrete equipment or process strategies to eliminate them before they reach production
• Define requirements for, and actively support the procurement and qualification of, manufacturing tools, fixtures, jigs, and automation equipment
• Apply Lean Manufacturing principles — Value Stream Mapping, SMED, Poka-Yoke — and Six Sigma methodologies to drive measurable waste reduction and efficiency gains
• Partner cross-functionally with R&D, quality, supply chain, and production as a technical peer, not a coordinator, to deliver manufacturing excellence at each stage of the product lifecycle

You should apply if you

• Have delivered at least one full NPI cycle end-to-end - from DFM input through to production ramp - and can speak concretely to the decisions you made and the trade-offs you navigated
• Bring hands-on, practical knowledge of manufacturing processes such as machining, casting, precision assembly, or surface treatment, including their real-world capabilities and failure modes
• Have defined and executed process validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ) and applied statistical tools such as CpK and PpK to qualify and control production processes
• Have designed tooling, fixtures, or factory layouts using CAD software (SolidWorks, NX, or CATIA) and can read and interpret complex engineering drawings including GD&T
• Have applied Lean or Six Sigma methodologies to solve a real production problem — not in theory, but on the floor, with measurable results
• Are comfortable working as a hands-on individual contributor in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment where the product and the process are evolving simultaneously

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

• Experience with automation integration within a production line context — robotics, vision systems, or end-of-line testing
• Familiarity with regulated or certified manufacturing environments (e.g., AS9100, ISO 9001, or equivalent)
• Exposure to hardware or product development in a high-growth, low-legacy environment where processes are being built from scratch rather than inherited
• Experience with ERP or MES systems in a manufacturing context

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: regular 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

• 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

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.