---
title: 'Aerodynamic Engineer at Harmattan AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/aerodynamic-engineer-harmattan-ai-lausanne-yg3r0yy12rj9'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Aerodynamic Engineer at Harmattan AI

- **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai)
- **Location:** Lausanne, Switzerland
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-07-13
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/39f9170e-e714-4dae-a860-ef45a1dd68a1

## Job description

## ABOUT US

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

Harmattan is seeking an Aerodynamic Engineer to help design, validate, and continuously improve the flight physics of our UAV and eVTOL platforms. You'll work across the full loop — from conceptual aerodynamic design and simulation, through physical testing, to the Python tooling that ties it all together — collaborating closely with the Mechanical and GNC teams.

## RESPONSIBILITIES

- Aerodynamic Design & Analysis: Contribute to the aerodynamic layout and analysis of fixed-wing, multicopter, and eVTOL configurations, moving fluidly between low-fidelity methods (XFoil, OpenVSP, AVL) and higher-fidelity CFD depending on the stage of the design.
- Testing & Validation: Support flight test and/or wind tunnel campaigns — helping define test cards, instrument prototypes, and run experiments — to validate simulation predictions against real-world data.
- Python Tooling & Automation: Write Python to automate analysis workflows, process test/flight data, and connect design and simulation tools together into a smoother end-to-end pipeline.
- Aero Database Generation: Generate and maintain aerodynamic databases and stability derivatives that the GNC team relies on for control law development and autopilot tuning.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with the Mechanical and GNC teams throughout the design cycle to make sure aerodynamic choices stay feasible, stable, and testable in practice.

## REQUIREMENTS

- Education: B.S. or M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, or a related field, with coursework or project experience touching aerodynamics or flight mechanics.
- Aerodynamics & Flight Dynamics Knowledge: Solid grasp of aerodynamic fundamentals (lift, drag, stability) and flight dynamics, with enough intuition to reason about a design's behaviour before running a full simulation or test.
- Python Proficiency: Comfortable scripting in Python (NumPy, SciPy, Pandas) to process data, automate repetitive analysis, and glue together different engineering tools.
- Simulation or Testing Exposure: Hands-on experience with at least one side of the validation loop — either aerodynamic simulation (CFD, XFoil, OpenVSP, AVL) or physical/experimental testing (wind tunnel, flight test, prototyping).
- CAD Familiarity: Comfortable navigating and making basic edits in SolidWorks or CATIA, enough to understand geometry constraints and communicate effectively with the Mechanical team.
- Pragmatic, Hands-on Mindset: Happy moving across the full design-to-validation loop rather than staying in a single niche, and comfortable working in a small, fast-moving team.

## NICE-TO-HAVE

- French language skills.
- Hands-on experience building or flying RC aircraft/drones.
- Propeller design and integration with the airframe.
- Aeroacoustics.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.

## About Harmattan AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Harmattan AI builds autonomous defense systems—including strike and surveillance drones—using AI-driven autonomy and real-time intelligence for allied forces.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B, unicorn status)
- **Headquarters**: Paris, France
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Mouad M’Ghari (CEO & Co‑founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Defense & autonomous systems
- **Target customers**: B2G – NATO member states, ministries of defence (UK, France, and others)
- **Mission**: Deliver scalable, sovereign AI capabilities to allied forces by building mission‑ready autonomous systems that respond in real time, adapt under pressure, and deliver an edge in contested environments. [harmattan.ai](https://harmattan.ai/)

## Products & Services
- **Platform Autonomy**: AI‑driven autonomy layer for drones, enabling real‑time decision‑making and adaptation.
- **Mission Orchestration**: Software for coordinating multiple autonomous assets (e.g., collaborative air combat).
- **Precision Strike**: Attritable strike drones with embedded AI for target engagement.
- **VSHORAD (Very Short‑Range Air Defence)**: Counter‑drone interception systems.
- **Persistent ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)**: Autonomous surveillance platforms for continuous battlefield awareness.
- **Electronic Warfare Platforms**: Systems for electronic attack and protection. [harmattan.ai](https://harmattan.ai/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: $1.4 billion (as of January 2026, after Series B). [tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/01/12/french-startup-harmattan-ai-hits-unicorn-status-as-it-strikes-deal-with-french-aerospace-group/)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding ~$240 million ($200 M Series B led by Dassault Aviation + over $40 M prior). [tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/01/12/french-startup-harmattan-ai-hits-unicorn-status-as-it-strikes-deal-with-french-aerospace-group/)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Dassault Aviation (lead investor & strategic partner), multiple NATO allies as customers.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Achieved unicorn status within two years of founding.
  - Awarded several “programs of record” by UK and French Ministries of Defence. [tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/01/12/french-startup-harmattan-ai-hits-unicorn-status-as-it-strikes-deal-with-french-aerospace-group/)
  - Scaling industrial manufacturing of drone interception and electronic warfare platforms.
  - Headcount grew to 131 employees (Built In estimate). [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/harmattan-ai)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Two‑layer autonomy model**: Combines platform‑level AI with mission‑orchestration software for coordinated, scalable autonomous forces.
- **Sovereign AI**: Focus on delivering non‑dependent capabilities to allied nations, differentiating from US‑centric primes.
- **Attritable systems**: Cost‑effective, expendable drones that enable mass deployment without prohibitive losses.
- **Speed to relevance**: Claims rapid iteration and deployment cycles, with conflict‑ready production. [harmattan.ai](https://harmattan.ai/)

## Strategic Focus
- Expand product offering into new operational domains (e.g., collaborative air combat with Dassault Aviation).
- Scale industrial manufacturing of drone interception, electronic warfare, and ISR platforms.
- Deepen integration of embedded AI into next‑generation air combat systems (future combat air systems). [tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/01/12/french-startup-harmattan-ai-hits-unicorn-status-as-it-strikes-deal-with-french-aerospace-group/)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Elite builders” who “thrive on complexity, move with urgency, and own their work end to end.” Emphasis on purpose, technical excellence, and real‑world impact. [harmattan.ai](https://harmattan.ai/careers/)
- **Values**: Tackle the hardest problems, build what matters, move at the speed of relevance, and aim to redefine frontiers. [harmattan.ai](https://harmattan.ai/careers/)
- **Work policy**: Hybrid model with a mix of remote and on‑site; many roles are in‑office at locations in Paris, Lausanne, London, Arlington (TX), Wissous, Poland, UAE, and Morocco. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/harmattan-ai)
- **Engineering culture**: Hands‑on development of mission‑critical autonomous systems; strong R&D focus across AI, computer vision, RF hardware, propulsion, and mission planning.
- **Perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company highlights the opportunity to protect front‑line personnel and shape the future of autonomous defence.

## Sources
1. [harmattan.ai](https://harmattan.ai/)
2. [harmattan.ai/careers](https://harmattan.ai/careers/)
3. [harmattan.ai/open-roles](https://harmattan.ai/open-roles)
4. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/harmattan-ai)
5. [tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/01/12/french-startup-harmattan-ai-hits-unicorn-status-as-it-strikes-deal-with-french-aerospace-group/)

## Other roles at Harmattan AI

- [Forward Deployed Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-software-engineer-harmattan-ai-united-arab-emirates-h1ph5ed6wera) — United Arab Emirates
- [Embedded Electrical Engineer - SoM](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-electrical-engineer-som-harmattan-ai-zurich-nfmnmqmj7qkw) — Zurich, Switzerland
- [Embedded Electrical Engineer - SoM](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-electrical-engineer-som-harmattan-ai-lausanne-25bs7fgkpqjz) — Lausanne, Switzerland
- [Product Operations Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/product-operations-intern-harmattan-ai-paris-598y5hqzq0v7) — Paris, France
- [Embedded Electrical Engineer - SoM](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-electrical-engineer-som-harmattan-ai-paris-4kfy8a0s9nsw) — Paris, France
- [Software Engineer - Gimbal](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-gimbal-harmattan-ai-paris-964y8cys7ssa) — Paris, France
- [Forward Deployed Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-software-engineer-harmattan-ai-paris-t3v3brcs9b32) — Paris, France
- [Drone System Validation Technician and Pilot](https://feeny.ai/job/drone-system-validation-technician-and-pilot-harmattan-ai-rabat-z2eczm57bd4w) — Rabat, Morocco
- [Validation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/validation-engineer-harmattan-ai-rabat-j6rf9bn7tje4) — Rabat, Morocco
- [Flight Operations Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-operations-engineer-harmattan-ai-rabat-m3nxbfykp8at) — Rabat, Morocco