---
title: 'Mechanical Design Engineer at Harmattan AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-design-engineer-harmattan-ai-lausanne-pdsvfqbv7v1t'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-02'
---

# Mechanical Design Engineer at Harmattan AI

- **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai)
- **Location:** Lausanne, Switzerland
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-15
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-02
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/8a767695-d663-4bfe-aedf-0d6e2e3062d9

## 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 Mechanical Design Engineer, you own the mechanical design of warheads and safety, arming and function devices for Harmattan’s munition systems. You take designs from concept through prototype to release for production, and you build the design, drafting and data practices the team will rely on as it scales. You work hands-on every day alongside energetics, simulation, electronics and test engineers, with a direct line into how your designs are built and tested.

## Responsibilities

- Design and draft mechanical housings, casings, warhead assemblies and mechanisms to industry drafting standards.
- Develop warhead concepts from literature and expertise, balancing dimensions, manufacturability and terminal effects.
- Build and verify mechanical prototypes, and define assembly procedures for each design.
- Own product data and configuration management, from concept through release to production.
- Manage mechanical interfaces with higher-level systems and produce the supporting documentation for integration.
- Run first-order thermal, shock and vibration assessments against operational requirements.
- Engage suppliers on sourcing, non-conformances and change requests, and issue engineering changes to production.
- Work with energetics, simulation, electronics and test teams on hardware requirements for test programs.
- Report design status, risks and product readiness to management.

Candidate Requirements

- Demonstrated experience designing warheads or fuzing and safety-arming systems for military applications.
- Strong design drafting background in a CAD-intensive environment, with formal GD&T training or certification.
- Experience with product data and configuration management systems such as Siemens Teamcenter.
- Hands-on knowledge of production processes: machining, stamping, forging, casting and injection molding.
- Experience running basic environmental and stress assessments on military systems.
- Understanding of development and qualification timelines in munitions programs.
- Adaptable and pragmatic, comfortable making sound engineering decisions in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience in warhead testing and qualification to military standards is a plus.

## What We Offer

- Opportunity to establish core mechanical design capability and elevate drafting standards within a growing engineering team.
- Direct hands-on work spanning initial CAD concepts through to manufacturing and field testing.
- Broad exposure to complex electromechanical hardware, structural housings, and safety-critical mechanisms.

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

- [Senior Methods Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-methods-engineer-harmattan-ai-orly-c285p726rcmc) — Orly, France
- [Shopfloor Operators](https://feeny.ai/job/shopfloor-operators-harmattan-ai-orly-n9w0mat8stdz) — Orly, France
- [RF Test & Validation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/rf-test-validation-engineer-harmattan-ai-paris-fqc982ka550a) — Paris, France
- [Chief Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/chief-engineer-harmattan-ai-rabat-hwkhxr7wan2f) — Rabat, Morocco
- [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
- [Energetic Materials Scientist (Munitions)](https://feeny.ai/job/energetic-materials-scientist-munitions-harmattan-ai-lausanne-gmas9z609agn) — Lausanne, Switzerland