Lead Systems Engineer - EO/IR Sensing

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 the Lead System Engineer for EO/IR Sensing, you will own the complete end-to-end integration of the airborne electro-optical/infrared targeting system, from initial requirements definition through to flight test and operational release. Your primary focus will be to translate mission needs into specific performance requirements for detection, tracking, and identification, whilst defining the sensor's concept of operations and algorithm integration. A critical part of your role is to manage the technical supplier interface, lead the verification and test campaign, and ensure seamless data integration with the core mission system to deliver a fully qualified capability. The day-to-day Own day-to-day system engineering and integration of the airborne EO/IR targeting system from requirements through flight test and operational release. Translate mission needs into EORTS performance requirements: detection/recognition/identification ranges, FOV/zoom, stabilization/line-of-sight jitter, tracking accuracy, latency, and environmental limits. Define and maintain sensor mode set and CONOPS (wide-area search, cueing, target track, ID, geo-pointing, post-strike assessment), including mission-phase behavior and sensor scheduling. Lead target detection, tracking, and classification pipeline integration: algorithm selection, data labeling strategy, confidence metrics, and thresholds tuned for operational false-alarm tolerance. Ensure robust multi-sensor cueing with other sensors. Manage data interfaces/ICDs to mission computer and C2: video formats/encoding, metadata, track outputs, cues, recorder/telemetry needs, and health/BIT reporting. Plan and execute verification & test with a special focus on installed senor performance. Coordinate with software/avionics teams on data interfaces. Manage supplier technical control: review specs, acceptance tests, algorithm releases, and change requests; track issues to closure with objective evidence. Define and maintain interfaces/ICDs to avionics and mission systems. Produce program artifacts: requirements, verification matrices, test plans, performance reports, and flight readiness inputs. You should apply if you Hold a relevant degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field. Have experience in delivering EO/IR targeting systems (gimbals/EOTS/EORTS/ISR pods) through integration, test, and operational release. Can translate mission scenarios into DRI requirements (detection/recognition/identification ranges), plus stabilization/LOS jitter, tracking accuracy, latency, and environmental constraints. Have hands-on experience with sensor mode design/CONOPS (search, cueing, track, ID, geo-pointing, BDA) and sensor scheduling across mission phases. Have integrated detection/tracking/classification pipelines, including thresholding/false-alarm control and confidence metrics (ML-based ATR experience is a plus). Understand multi-sensor cueing and track association (radar/ESM to EO/IR handover, metadata alignment, confidence management). Have led verification & test (lab/HIL, ground range, flight test support) and can debug issues from imagery to algorithms to avionics/software. Can manage supplier technical control: review evidence, control configuration, and drive issues to objective closure. 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. 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