
Industrialization Engineer at Harmattan AI (Orly, France)
Harmattan AI· Orly, France·
Role details
Harmattan AI at a glance
France's first defense-tech unicorn, building attritable AI-piloted strike, interception, and ISR drones for allied militaries.
Harmattan AI is a vertically integrated defense prime building autonomous drone systems for allied militaries. It designs the full stack, from airframes and payloads to embedded compute and the autonomy algorithms that let drones sense, decide, and act at the edge without GPS or a network link, coordinated across a swarm by its mission-orchestration layer.
$242M raised · latest: Series B · $200M · January 2026 · backed by Dassault Aviation, FirstMark Capital, Atlantic, Motier Ventures
Summary
Hands-on role on the shop floor to turn early-stage designs into robust production processes. Responsibilities include developing work instructions, leading manufacturability reviews, driving continuous improvement, and supporting automation transition.
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
At Harmattan AI, we don't just design defense systems — we build them, at speed, and at scale. As an Industrialization Engineer within the Automation & Industrialization team, you will be at the heart of that challenge. This is not a desk job. You will be on the shop floor, hands-on, turning early-stage designs into robust, repeatable production processes. From writing the first work instruction to identifying the bottleneck that no one else spotted — you own it, you fix it, you improve it. You will work alongside engineers who push manufacturing boundaries every day, on products that have never been built before, in an environment where your ideas translate directly into action. If you are the kind of person who walks into a production line and immediately sees what could be better — this role was built for you. Your scope spans DFM, process development, continuous improvement, and automation support — with the opportunity to grow fast in a team scaling from prototype to high-volume production.
Responsibilities
- Be present and active on the shop floor — develop work instructions, time studies, SOPs, and visual standards from direct observation and hands-on involvement
- Identify improvement opportunities with a trained eye, act on them, and share knowledge to keep the team consistent and unblocked
- Lead manufacturability reviews and resolve design constraints before they reach production; standardize assembly processes meeting quality, ergonomic, and safety standards
- Drive time-and-motion analysis to set cycle time targets, track performance (cycle time, yield, rework), and deliver data-backed improvements with clear KPI targets
- Support the transition to automated assembly and leverage robotics where applicable
- Bridge R&D, prototype, and mass production sites — capturing and applying lessons learned across the full product line
Candidate Requirements Essential
- Degree in Industrial, Mechatronics Engineering, or related field
- Comfortable working from engineering drawings, assembly schematics, and evolving work instructions
- Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and their application in a production or pilot environment
- Adaptable and resourceful — at ease where instructions and designs change frequently
- Curious, improvement-driven, and eager to take ownership quickly
- Fluent French and English
- Hands-on mindset; at ease on the shopfloor, not just behind a screen
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Preferred
- Exposure to a ramp-up, startup, or new product introduction context is a plus, not a prerequisite
- Curiosity about automation and a desire to understand where manufacturing is heading
- Familiarity with Odoo or any MES/ERP is a bonus
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments where processes are still being built.
- Communication & Influence: Excellent written and verbal communication in French and English, capable of leading diverse principals – from junior members to senior executives.
- Commitment: 100% dedication to Harmattan AI’s mission, vision, and ambitious growth plans, ready to go the extra mile to ensure operational excellence.
We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.
Why work at Harmattan AI
- 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
- Values: Tackle the hardest problems, build what matters, move at the speed of relevance, and aim to redefine frontiers. harmattan.ai
- 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
- 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.