Hardware Engineer - Physical Products Hardware Engineering London; Oxford

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 Hardware Engineer you will be instrumental in translating requirements into robust, efficient, and field‑ready hardware designs. Your expertise will span mechanical and electronic systems, ensuring the high performance and reliability of Helsing's UAV platforms — directly advancing our mission to empower democratic societies with cutting‑edge AI solutions.

The day-to-day

• Own the end‑to‑end hardware design of UAV systems, from early‑stage prototyping through to flight‑ready builds.
• Integrate mechanical, electronic, and sensor subsystems into cohesive, manufacturable drone architectures.
• Develop and iterate physical prototypes rapidly, balancing performance, weight, and durability constraints.
• Define and execute hardware validation and flight‑readiness testing, including bench, integration, and field trials.
• Collaborate closely with software, firmware, and avionics teams to ensure seamless hardware/software integration.
• Produce clear design documentation, schematics, and BOMs in accordance with company quality standards.
• Evaluate and select COTS components, working with suppliers to meet technical and programme requirements.

You should apply if you

• Have hands‑on experience designing and building UAV or similar complex autonomous hardware systems.
• Are comfortable working across both mechanical and electronic domains — from airframe structures to PCB layout and power systems.
• Have a strong prototyping mindset, with experience taking hardware from concept to flying article at pace.
• Are proficient with CAD tools (e.g. SolidWorks, Siemens NX) and comfortable with electronics design tools (e.g. Altium).
• Have experience defining and running hardware validation and test campaigns.
• Thrive in fast‑moving environments where iteration speed and engineering judgement matter equally.
• Exhibit excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

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 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.

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.