---
title: 'Energetic Materials Scientist (Munitions) at Harmattan AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/energetic-materials-scientist-munitions-harmattan-ai-lausanne-gmas9z609agn'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-26'
---

# Energetic Materials Scientist (Munitions) at Harmattan AI

- **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai)
- **Location:** Lausanne, Switzerland
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-26
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/7e60763f-b2a9-44c7-bdd2-79eec28747be

## 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 Energetic Materials Engineer in the Warhead team, you will be the technical authority ensuring the energetic materials in our systems are properly selected, tested and qualified for their intended use. You will build Harmattan AI’s expertise in energetic materials chemistry, stability and supplier assurance, so we can safely and repeatedly source and produce energetics as we scale. You will work daily with systems, warhead and fuze engineers, as well as test facilities and partners.

## Responsibilities

- Act as the internal reference on energetic materials chemistry, properties and compatibility to guide material selection.
- Baseline the energetic materials requirements and material inventory across our products.
- Evaluate chemical stability, ageing and environmental sensitivity to define safe-for-use, storage and operational requirements.
- Develop and oversee material qualification in line with NATO standards, internally and with external partners.
- Run hands-on material characterization and build the laboratory capability, in-house or through partners, to support it.
- Assess supplier specifications, process capability and quality requirements to ensure repeatability and traceability, and manage inspections and non-conformances.
- Support warhead and fuze engineers in sourcing and preparing materials for prototype testing, and report results to systems engineers.
- Build qualification frameworks and guidance for the wider team, and contribute to growing an internal materials team.

Candidate Requirements

- Master’s degree or PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or a related field.
- Strong understanding of explosive materials, propellants and pyrotechnics, including explosive safety and hazardous materials handling.
- Hands-on experience with analytical techniques such as DSC, TGA, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.
- Experience characterizing and evaluating materials in accordance with NATO qualification standards.
- Experience running qualification programs for materials used in pyrotechnic or energetic systems.
- Understanding of materials manufacturing processes and quality controls.
- Fluency in English required.

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

- [Global Sourcing Manager Electronics](https://feeny.ai/job/global-sourcing-manager-electronics-harmattan-ai-paris-yjrh4h9k88ak) — Paris, France
- [General Application](https://feeny.ai/job/general-application-harmattan-ai-austin-322mjkgt3kvg) — Austin, TX
- [Supply Planner](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-planner-harmattan-ai-orly-317pj1zkeaq0) — Orly, France
- [Propulsion Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/propulsion-engineer-harmattan-ai-rabat-ng7mxvf8t8dh) — Rabat, Morocco
- [Accounts Payable Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/accounts-payable-specialist-harmattan-ai-paris-jxnnnhwz45w1) — Paris, France
- [RF Engineer (GNSS)](https://feeny.ai/job/rf-engineer-gnss-harmattan-ai-lausanne-m7w5ecdm6r4j) — Lausanne, Switzerland
- [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