System Engineer - System Architecture - Contra

Job Overview As a Systems Engineer for C-UAS System-of-Systems at Helsing, you will own the high-level architecture of a distributed air defence capability. Helsing is a defence AI company with a mission to protect democracies through technological leadership. Responsibilities Own the top-level (L0/L1) architecture of the C-UAS system-of-systems, partitioning the mission into network, sensor, and effector subsystems Specify the network capabilities that let distributed nodes share a common air picture and coordinate engagements, including decentralised operation when the central command node is degraded or absent Derive network, sensor, and effector requirements from the operational concept, and own the trade-offs between coverage, resilience, latency, and cost Translate operational concepts into a coherent system architecture and clear engagement concepts, then hold that architecture consistent as the design matures Keep the architecture open and hardware agnostic, establishing the interfaces that let any qualified node join the network Enable engage-on-remote and launch-on-remote by defining how cueing, track handover, and fire control flow across nodes Produce a structured architecture that can be exposed externally to partners and customers at the right level of abstraction, without disclosing sensitive detail Collaborate daily with the situational awareness and interceptor integration teams, and with AI, software, and hardware engineers, to keep the system-of-systems coherent Requirements Hands-on experience architecting distributed systems or systems-of-systems, ideally for defence, air defence, C-UAS, or comparable networked mission systems Ability to define top-level architectures and derive network, sensor, and effector requirements from an operational concept Understanding of distributed and decentralised system design: how nodes share state, degrade gracefully, and coordinate without a single point of failure Strong foundation in requirements management and interface definition Ability to communicate an architecture clearly to both internal engineering teams and external partners and customers University degree in Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Computer Science, or a related field Business fluency in German and English Willingness to travel Personal values that match Helsing's: ownership, initiative, dedication to mission, speed, and inclusiveness Nice to Have Working knowledge of tactical networking, mesh communications, or resilient data links in contested environments Familiarity with air defence engagement concepts, kill-chain design, or NATO C-UAS framework Benefits 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 Hands-on onboarding program Job Data by YubHub .