---
title: 'Senior Jet Engine Design Engineer – Interceptor Drones at Alta Ares'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-jet-engine-design-engineer-interceptor-drones-alta-ares-toulouse-m3p2ed344w1g'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-03'
---

# Senior Jet Engine Design Engineer – Interceptor Drones at Alta Ares

- **Company:** Alta Ares
- **Location:** Toulouse, France
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-24
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-03
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/alta-ares/02db71fb-9524-435e-8f96-4053011581c1

## Job description

## About Alta Ares

Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them. Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.

## About the Role

We are building next-generation interceptor drones and are looking for a Senior Jet Engine Design Engineer to lead the development of small-scale jet propulsion systems (12–25 kg thrust class), from concept to flight-ready hardware. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role in a fast-moving startup environment where speed and iteration matter more than lengthy upfront studies.

Responsibilities:

- Design and develop new small jet engines (12–25 kg thrust range) in-house, optimized for very low production cost
- Own the aerodynamic design of turbine components, balancing performance, manufacturability, and cost
- Design a large portion of the turbine for metal 3D printing (additive manufacturing), leveraging design-for-AM principles to reduce part count, weight, and cost
- Work closely with 3D printing operations to define printable geometries, tolerances, post-processing, and qualify parts for flight use
- Drive a rapid, fail-fast iteration process: build, test, learn, and redesign quickly rather than relying on long analytical phases before prototyping
- Integrate propulsion systems into airframes such as flying wings and other interceptor drone configurations, working with aerostructures and systems teams
- Apply and enforce design rules for operation in extreme environments (cold and hot climates, rain, humidity, icing conditions) to ensure engine reliability across the full operational envelope
- Contribute to engine testing (bench and flight), performance validation, and continuous design improvement

Candidate Profile:

- Minimum 8 years of experience in jet engine / gas turbine design, with a proven track record of having designed and delivered engine models (not just component-level work)
- Strong hands-on experience with small jet engines in the 12–25 kg thrust class
- Solid global understanding of jet engine architecture: compressor, combustor, turbine, fuel system, controls, and their interactions
- Experience designing turbine/engine components for metal additive manufacturing (DfAM), and practical knowledge of metal 3D printing processes and constraints
- Comfortable working in a rapid-iteration, fail-fast development culture rather than a traditional long-cycle aerospace process
- Experience integrating propulsion systems into airframes (flying wing or similar unconventional platforms is a strong plus)
- Knowledge of design requirements for extreme operating environments (temperature extremes, precipitation, icing)
- Ability to work autonomously in a small, fast-paced startup team, wearing multiple hats when needed

## Nice to Have

- Experience with UAV/drone propulsion specifically (vs. manned aviation)
- Familiarity with low-cost manufacturing strategies for defense/dual-use hardware
- Prior startup or skunkworks experience

## About Alta Ares

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Alta Ares builds an autonomous AI stack for next-generation air defense, ISTAR, and mission management, delivering counter-drone systems and edge intelligence to allied militaries.
- **Entity Type**: Private (raised pre-seed and seed rounds; most recent €50M funding announced June 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Paris, France (strategic offices in Toulouse, Kyiv, Abu Dhabi, New York, Athens, Munich, and London)
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Hadrien C. (CEO), Alain H. (Co-Founder), Stanislas W. (Co-Founder & COO) – per LinkedIn executive data

## Core Business
- **Industry**: Defense and Space Manufacturing; AI-powered autonomous systems
- **Target Customers**: Allied governments and armed forces (B2B/B2G)
- **Mission**: “The next decade of allied security will be decided by who controls the autonomous systems above the battlefield. Alta Ares was founded to help ensure that the technologies shaping the future of defense are developed by allies, for allies, and fielded where they can make the greatest difference.” [altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/)

## Products & Services
- **Black Bird**: Short- to mid-range multirotor autonomous interceptor for counter-drone swarms, with AI terminal guidance under jamming.
- **X-LOCK**: Mid- to long-range turbojet-powered fixed-wing effector for high-speed interception of drones and glide bombs; optional strike configuration.
- **Cyclops**: Sensor intelligence, mission planning, and flight monitoring system for UAVs – connects radars, classifies tracks, predicts trajectories.
- **Gamma ISTAR**: Real-time video intelligence on the edge for Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. Includes Gamma Core (software deployable on any infrastructure) and Gamma Box (tactical rugged hardware node). Integrated with Gamma Ulixes MLOps platform for continuous model retraining.
- **Pixel Lock**: Software system for detecting, tracking, and guiding interceptors toward moving aerial targets. Acts as visual aid for pilots and as automatic guidance in GNSS-denied environments.
- **Mission Management Layer**: Unified platform combining air defense effectors, ISTAR products, and mission management software for autonomous operations.

[altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total known funding ≈ €50M+ (includes a reported June 2026 round led by top-tier AI and defense investors) [altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/); earlier pre-seed ($2.2M) and seed ($2.0M) rounds confirmed on LinkedIn [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alta-ares)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Airbus Defence and Space (signed MoU to co-develop European counter-drone solutions, June 2026); Expansion Ventures (led pre-seed). Other investors not yet named publicly.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Completed live Arctic trials of Black Bird interceptor with Estonian Defence Forces (Feb 2026)
  - Expanding to Munich and London in 2026
  - Rapid hiring: 19+ active job postings (LinkedIn), 12 listed on Built In
  - LinkedIn followers: 11,265 (+15.8% monthly growth)
  - Team: ~43 employees (LinkedIn) to 62 (Built In), with strong technical talent from defense and aerospace (Armée de Terre, Safran AI, Loft Orbital)

[builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/alta-ares) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alta-ares)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Sovereign European stack**: Entire AI and hardware chain developed by European allies, ensuring security and compliance for NATO and allied customers.
- **GNSS-denied operations**: All systems designed to function under jamming and contested environments.
- **Rapid field deployment**: Systems can be deployed by small teams in the field, reducing logistics footprint.
- **Full-stack integration**: One platform combining effectors, ISR, and mission management with edge AI and continuous MLOps.

## Strategic Focus
- Scale manufacturing and deployment of Black Bird, X-LOCK, and Gamma products to meet growing demand from allied nations.
- Deepen integration partnership with Airbus Defence and Space for European counter-drone solutions.
- Expand international presence (Munich, London offices in 2026) and grow sales in Baltic, Indo-Pacific, and Middle Eastern markets.
- Continue investment in AI terminal guidance, sensor fusion, and sovereign MLOps (Gamma Ulixes).

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Directly contribute to European and allied defense autonomy in a critical domain.
- **Cutting-edge tech**: Work on AI, computer vision, autonomous flight, edge computing, and defense-grade hardware.
- **Rapid growth**: Company raised €50M in 2026, tripling headcount timeline; many open engineering and operations roles.
- **Culture**: Described as a “deeptech startup” with a hybrid workspace (combination of remote and on-site); main offices in Paris and Toulouse, plus international hubs.
- **Perks**: Not detailed publicly, but typical for defense tech includes competitive compensation, equity, and mission-critical work. Engineering culture emphasized in job postings.
- **Ideal for**: Engineers (embedded, robotics, GNC, data, ML), test pilots, production managers, defense sales, compliance, and talent acquisition specialists.

## Sources
1. [altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/)
2. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/alta-ares)
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alta-ares)
4. [jobs.workable.com](https://jobs.workable.com/company/dTjqj5nvsJLNhfSDY12XbG/jobs-at-alta-ares)
5. [thecompanycheck.com](https://www.thecompanycheck.com/company/b/alta-ares/l5u43z56vx1ldmfss)

## Other roles at Alta Ares

- [Business Development Representative Japan — Internship](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-representative-japan-internship-alta-ares-tokyo-xd296meqgnya) — Tokyo, Japan / Nagoya, Japan
- [Pyrotechnics Engineer H/F](https://feeny.ai/job/pyrotechnics-engineer-h-f-alta-ares-paris-rx0373g9fyxr) — Paris, France
- [Flight Test Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-test-engineer-alta-ares-toulouse-99t0asqgtsy6) — Toulouse, France
- [Avionics Electronics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/avionics-electronics-engineer-alta-ares-toulouse-9b47t99mkvqv) — Toulouse, France
- [Field Operations Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/field-operations-specialist-alta-ares-paris-avhvmvmkyt9d) — Paris, France
- [MLOps Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mlops-engineer-alta-ares-paris-63vk2zcq7fr7) — Paris, France
- [Bid & Project Manager – EU & NATO (H/F)](https://feeny.ai/job/bid-project-manager-eu-nato-h-f-alta-ares-paris-spxnkvsfkkgj) — Paris, France
- [Business Development Representative - VIE Canada](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-representative-vie-canada-alta-ares-ottawa-8dh4cz4xket7) — Ottawa, Canada / Toronto, Canada
- [Industrial Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/industrial-designer-alta-ares-paris-ff6ptwqxb779) — Paris, France
- [Dessinateur Projeteur CAO](https://feeny.ai/job/dessinateur-projeteur-cao-alta-ares-toulouse-dp9ac08aw350) — Toulouse, France