--- title: 'Composite Technician - Airframe at Harmattan AI' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/composite-technician-airframe-harmattan-ai-lausanne-zy1s8qcddq6x' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Composite Technician - Airframe at Harmattan AI - **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai) - **Location:** Lausanne, Switzerland - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-08-19 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/760249f2-a91c-4d88-9b0c-4c4cab7df236 ## 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. ## ABOUT THE ROLE As the composite technician on the Airframe team, your core mission is to prototype carbon structures fast, in-house — from mould to finished, quality-checked part — and to bring innovative solutions that make assembly and prototyping easier. A true hands-on professional, you combine technical skills, initiative, and a maker mindset. You build tooling, lay up and finish composite parts (carbon / glass fibre), and turn the engineers' CAD into flight-worthy structures on short cycles. You are also the owner of technical drawings and supplier quotations for the parts you handle, and the one who trains production operators when a design moves to series. You thrive with minimal supervision, favour pragmatic, quick-result approaches over perfect-but-slow tooling, and are equally comfortable laying up a part, machining or printing a mould, and reading a technical drawing. ## TECHNICAL SKILLS ## KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Rapid in-house prototyping (core) - Produce carbon prototype structures quickly in-house, choosing the fastest viable route rather than heavy tooling when a proto is the goal. - Propose innovative, simple solutions to speed up assembly and prototyping. - Design certain parts and prototyping tools yourself (fixtures, adapters, simple structural parts) when it is faster than going through the design loop. - Iterate fast with the design engineers: short loops between concept, part and feedback, flagging manufacturability issues before they cost a mould. Tooling & moulds - Build and maintain moulds and tooling, in coordination with the design team; machine or 3D-print mould masters, prepare and polish mould surfaces. - Design and build layup jigs, trimming templates, bonding and assembly fixtures. - Manage the composite workshop consumables and material inventory (fabrics, resins, cores, vacuum consumables) including storage and shelf-life follow-up. Design & documentation - Read and interpret 2D/3D drawings and ply books; model simple parts and tooling in CAD when needed; give manufacturability feedback early. - Own the technical drawings: produce and keep up to date the manufacturing drawings for the parts and tooling you handle. - Write and maintain clear, accessible fabrication procedures, ply books and cure logs on Confluence so processes are repeatable by others. - Optimise part designs for their manufacturing process: adapt geometries for plastic injection (wall thickness, draft angles, ribs) or for composite / 3D-printed fabrication (layup feasibility, demoulding, printability), in collaboration with the design engineers. Support & improvement - Support assembly and mechanical testing, including preparing test coupons and samples for structural analysis. - Identify and propose process and quality improvements; help run the composite workshop safely (dust extraction, PPE, resin handling and waste management). - Own the knowledge transfer to production: train the production operators on fabrication and assembly processes, and validate that a process is repeatable by others before handover. ## CANDIDATE PROFILE - Technical diploma or degree in composite materials, mechanical / aerospace manufacturing, industrial technology, or equivalent hands-on experience. - Proven experience in rapid in-house composite prototyping (carbon / glass fibre): hand layup, vacuum bagging, infusion and/or prepreg; mould making and surface preparation a strong plus. - Track record of quick, pragmatic solutions — getting a functional carbon part out fast, with sound trade-offs, rather than perfect parts requiring heavy tooling. - Ability to read technical drawings and ply books, and to control layup orientation, resin ratios, debulking and cure cycles with rigour and traceability. - Ability to produce manufacturing drawings (2D plans) - Understanding of design-for-manufacturing basics for plastic injection (wall thickness, draft angles) and composite / 3D-printed parts, to optimise geometries with the design engineers. - Hands-on finishing skills: trimming, sanding, drilling composites, structural bonding, insert fitting, and basic defect detection (porosity, delamination). - Proficiency with common fabrication tools (hand tools, bench equipment, 3D printer; basic machining appreciated); CAD literacy (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, FreeCAD or similar) to adapt tooling and jigs. - Highly autonomous — able to take ownership of tasks and drive them to completion with minimal supervision; resourceful and solution-oriented, comfortable improvising with available means. - Pedagogy and communication: able to write clear, accessible procedures and to train production operators so processes remain repeatable without you; rigorous on process, safety and documentation. 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