Who we are

The role

The day-to-day

• Serve as the ultimate technical authority / subject matter expert for electro-optical payload systems within the company.
• Lead the definition of payload specificstions derived from the Customer’s mission objectives and requirements, and flow them down to instrument specifications.
• Perform – based on through knowledge of European camera suppliers’ offerings – the trade studies to select and define optimal payload solutions, including sensor technology, optical design, and data handling architectures.
• Oversee the procurement of EO payloads, managing technical relationships with suppliers and partners to ensure compliance and quality.
• Develop and maintain sophisticated performance models for imaging systems, analysing parameters such as GRD, GSD, MTF, SNR, and radiometric accuracy.
• Define and oversee the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) and calibration campaigns for EO instruments at both the payload and satellite level.
• Lead the planning and execution of in-orbit commissioning for the payload, including calibration, validation, and performance verification activities.
• Interface directly with the Mission Systems and Satellite Systems Engineering teams to ensure seamless payload integration, managing critical constraints related to power, thermal, data, and pointing stability.
• Troubleshoot payload anomalies and provide expert analysis throughout the mission lifetime.

You should apply if you

• Proven hands-on experience in the design, development, and testing of electro-optical instruments for space applications.
• Demonstrated experience with payload integration on small-to-medium satellites (100-400 kg class) and managing the associated size, mass, and power budgets / constraints.
• Deep knowledge of Earth Observation mission principles and imaging techniques (e.g., push-broom, staring).
• Expert-level understanding of core payload technologies, including optical telescope design, focal plane assemblies (CMOS/CCD), and radiometry.
• Proven experience in defining and analysing image quality metrics
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Team-player

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

• Hands-on experience with optical design and analysis software.
• Proficiency with analysis and simulation tools such as MATLAB or Python.
• Experience with the full mission lifecycle, including leading in-orbit payload commissioning.
• Experience managing technical aspects of supplier contracts for space hardware.
• Familiarity with on-board data processing and compression techniques for imaging payloads.

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 stock options (ESOP)
• Occupational Pension and Disability Insurance
• Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation
• Learning: €500 yearly allowance
• Health & wellness: gym membership, mental health support (Nilo.health) and cycle scheme
• 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, remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work at full pay.

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.