--- title: 'Electrical Engineer (Ground Control System) at Harmattan AI' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-ground-control-system-harmattan-ai-paris-ra6zr9an8td7' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-19' --- # Electrical Engineer (Ground Control System) at Harmattan AI - **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai) - **Location:** Paris, France - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-09-25 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/c162c96e-f57f-4b94-9d54-9a86a556debc ## 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. ## Overview Harmattan AI is developing new hardware products within the GCS module, including ruggedised drone controllers and long-range RF systems designed for demanding field environments. These products require dedicated electronics design with complex architecture in a constrained environment – PCBs integrating RF modules, microcontrollers, power management, and communication interfaces – optimised for cost at volume. The GCS team is seeking a dedicated hardware engineer to own electronics design end-to-end and accelerate the path to production milestones. Ideal candidate A senior hardware engineer who has designed and shipped complex PCBs, ideally mixing digital and power, into production. They are rigorous on schematics, layout, and bring-up, and have a strong instinct for cost and manufacturability. They are comfortable working autonomously in a small team and can bridge hardware and firmware. ## Skills required - PCB schematic and layout design (Altium Designer preferred) - RF PCB design: controlled impedance, antenna matching, EMC management - Mixed-signal design: power management, MCU interfaces, communication buses (SPI, I2C, UART, USB, CAN) - Hardware bring-up and debug: bench equipment proficiency - DFM/DFA for PCB manufacturing and assembly - Component selection and BOM management Responsibilities: - Schematic Design - Design complete schematics for mixed-signal and RF boards, from power to digital and RF sections. - PCB Layout & Routing - Perform or lead board placement and routing with attention to signal integrity, EMC, and RF constraints (6-8 layer layout, controlled impedance, ground planes, and RF traces). - Component Selection & BOM Optimisation – Select components with cost, availability, and reliability in mind; drive BOM cost reduction for mass production volumes. - Hardware Bring-up & Debug - Lead board bring-up and debug issues with oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers, and other bench equipment; write bring-up scripts when needed. - EMC & RF Compliance - Address EMC challenges; ensure signal integrity across the board and correct RF performance (antenna impedance matching and power levels). - Collaboration with Embedded SW - Work closely with the embedded software engineer to define hardware/software interfaces; support firmware bring-up. - Collaboration with Mechanical - Ensure seamless PCB integration into mechanical enclosures (connectors, mounting, thermal, shielding). - Supplier & Manufacturing Ramp-up - Qualify PCB manufacturers and assembly houses; support DFM/DFA review for production; manage NPI transitions. - Documentation - Maintain schematics, layout files, test procedures, and hardware specifications. 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 - [Machine Learning Research Engineer – Visual Navigation](https://feeny.ai/job/machine-learning-research-engineer-visual-navigation-harmattan-ai-lausanne-dwt2jjfwj645) — Lausanne, Switzerland - [Systems Engineer (Munitions)](https://feeny.ai/job/systems-engineer-munitions-harmattan-ai-lausanne-prxzbdhs8sh2) — Lausanne, Switzerland - [Computer Vision Engineer (VIO)](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-vio-harmattan-ai-paris-pv0e4bb7fy2n) — Paris, France - [Computer Vision Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-harmattan-ai-zurich-9e7kze8xtrqj) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Computer Vision Engineer - Tracker](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-tracker-harmattan-ai-zurich-vbkf4kthyg8p) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Computer Vision Engineer - Tracker](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-tracker-harmattan-ai-lausanne-q6jtb7p70g03) — Lausanne, Switzerland - [Computer Vision Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-harmattan-ai-lausanne-dbmbmybfb6ed) — Lausanne, Switzerland - [Computer Vision Engineer - Tracker](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-tracker-harmattan-ai-paris-zbxhd0h6b0q2) — Paris, France - [Computer Vision Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/computer-vision-engineer-harmattan-ai-paris-ckgmk03yrnbn) — Paris, France - [Lead RF Engineer - Electronic Warfare](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-rf-engineer-electronic-warfare-harmattan-ai-paris-9xrwd5w7v7h3) — Paris, France