Supply Chain Manager Operations London; Plymouth

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 Supply Chain Manager for the UK, you will take full ownership of our regional procurement architecture during a period of significant scaling. This role is central to ensuring that our physical systems and AI technologies are supported by a resilient, compliant, and sovereign supply chain. You will lead the acquisition of critical hardware, manage essential contractor relationships, and build the procedural foundations required for high-stakes defence projects. Your impact will be measured by the robustness of our UK supplier network and our readiness to meet stringent audit and regulatory standards as we expand our local footprint.

The day-to-day

• Manage and oversee key contractors to ensure delivery timelines and quality standards are met across UK projects.
• Lead the end-to-end procurement of specialised technical hardware, such as hydrophones, ensuring sovereign control over critical components.
• Establish and implement rigorous supply chain processes to ensure the UK entity remains audit-ready and compliant with defence industry standards.
• Optimise and support the use of SAP (S4 HANA) for accurate data entry, reporting, and streamlined procurement execution.
• Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for 2027, specifically focused on increasing the proportion of UK-based suppliers to enhance regional resilience.
• Collaborate with engineering and finance teams to translate technical requirements into actionable sourcing strategies with quantifiable cost and lead-time benefits.
• Identify potential supply chain bottlenecks and proactively implement mitigation strategies to maintain project momentum.

You should apply if you

• Have successfully managed complex supply chains or procurement functions, ideally within high-technology or regulated industries.
• Possess deep competency in using SAP (S4 HANA) to manage procurement workflows and data integrity.
• Have built and implemented operational processes that have successfully passed formal internal or external audits.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage external contractors and vendors to achieve specific technical and commercial outcomes.
• Have experience sourcing specialised hardware or components and navigating the associated quality and logistics challenges.
• Are a clear and professional communicator capable of mapping long-term strategic goals for supplier diversity and regional growth.

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 navigating UK defence procurement regulations or public sector compliance requirements.
• Familiarity with the technical requirements of underwater acoustics or similar sensing technologies.
• Experience scaling a supply chain function within a high-growth technology startup environment.

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: regularly 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

These are the core benefits across all locations, there may be additional benefits in certain locations. 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.