---
title: 'Optical Engineer - Camera at Harmattan AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/optical-engineer-camera-harmattan-ai-paris-y7vax6tgp50p'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-19'
---

# Optical Engineer - Camera at Harmattan AI

- **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai)
- **Location:** Paris, France
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-07
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/4307de9d-2438-4f63-8ad2-3ad01cf7782b

## 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 an Optical Engineer in the Gimbal team, you are responsible for the optical performance of our EO/IR imaging payloads, which drive image quality, detection range, and robustness in operation. You will work on current products and shape the design of future ones. You follow each product from sizing and prototyping through validation and mass production, working closely with the mechanical, electronics, software, computer vision and industrialization teams.

## Responsibilities

- Sizing and design of EO/IR imaging payloads, arbitrating between field of view, resolution, range, and sensor choice.
- Select lenses and sensors, or lead custom optical designs, against image quality and robustness targets.
- Design, build, and maintain optical test benches for development, validation, and production.
- Measure and validate image quality: MTF, focus, boresight, distortion, and NETD for infrared.
- Develop the camera calibration pipeline (intrinsics, extrinsics, distortion, photometric and radiometric correction) with the software and perception teams.
- Integrate optics into mechanical assemblies, covering tolerancing, athermalisation, windows, coatings, and sealing.
- Investigate optical issues across the product life cycle, from prototype to series production.
- Manage optical suppliers and support industrialization of lenses, sensors, and components.
- Run field tests to assess image quality in real operating conditions.

Candidate Requirements

- Master's degree or engineering degree with a specialization in optics.
- 3+ years of experience in optical engineering, ideally on camera or imaging systems.
- Proven experience sizing an electro-optical or infrared optical system.
- Hands-on experience with standard optical measurements such as camera calibration, MTF, and NETD.
- Experience developing optical test benches, from architecture to validation and integration.
- Solid grounding in image processing: distortion, gamma, and geometric and photometric correction.
- Experience with thermal cameras is a strong plus.
- Hands-on, rigorous, and pragmatic, with the autonomy to iterate fast in a startup environment.

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