--- title: '(Senior) Programme Manager - Military Exercises at Helsing' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-programme-manager-military-exercises-helsing-munich-rjyzv1qh72ze' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-14' --- # (Senior) Programme Manager - Military Exercises at Helsing - **Company:** Helsing - **Location:** Munich, Germany - **Posted:** 2026-10-13 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-14 - **Apply:** https://helsing.ai/jobs/5004102101?gh_jid=5004102101 ## Job description ## Who we are Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards. As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously. We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications. ## The role As (Senior) Programme Manager (Air) - Military Exercises, you will sit at the intersection of Chief Engineering, Flight Test, Product and Programme, co-ordinating how we take part in military exercises. Your first focus is a major multinational air exercise, which you will own from first registration to final debrief. You will translate exercise requirements into engineering and product decisions, align partners inside and outside Helsing, and act as the point of contact for the customer and other involved Bundeswehr stakeholders. Exercises are where our systems meet real operators in realistic conditions, so the quality of your preparation shapes what the Bundeswehr learns about our capability, and what we learn about theirs. The day-to-day - Own Helsing's participation in a multinational air exercise end to end, covering registration, applications, airworthiness and certification evidence, security concept, logistics and coordination of on-site execution - Serve as the first point of contact for customer, Bundeswehr and exercise-authority stakeholders, resolving requirements questions and keeping commitments realistic and documented - Translate exercise and interoperability requirements into a prioritised change list for the Chief Engineering and Product teams, and track those changes to a flight-ready baseline - Build and maintain the integrated exercise schedule, risk register and readiness gates, flagging slippage early enough for the team to act - Handle classified material and information-security obligations correctly throughout, from participant clearances to data handling and post-exercise reporting You should apply if you - Have a proven track record in coordinating military exercises or comparable engineering test programmes in defence, aerospace industry or related sectors - Represent our organisation credibly with customers, partners and suppliers, handling contractual and operational conversations without close supervision - Communicate fluently in German and English, in writing and in person, with technical and non-technical audiences alike - Have a university degree (or equivalent experience) in any subject relevant to these sectors, including but not limited to mechanical, industrial or aerospace engineering - Work securely with classified data and understand the information-security rules that govern it - Keep teams moving when timelines compress and requirements are still taking shape - Are a high performer who thrives in a fast-paced environment - Are collaborative, humble and a problem-solver - Are willing to travel regularly - Are ready to meet all necessary requirements for a security clearance according to the respective national laws ## Nice to have - Familiarity with tactical data links, particularly Link 16 - Working knowledge of security gateways, cryptography, data networks (esp. red-black separation) Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields - Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns - The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world - Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defence industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward - In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts - We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practise responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about ## What we offer - Competitive salary and VSOP options - Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation - Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance - Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health) - Social: regularly company events and monthly social allowances - Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers. - Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work These are the core benefits across all locations, there may be additional benefits in certain locations. Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation. Helsing's Candidate Privacy and Confidentiality Regime can be found [here](https://helsing.ai/candidate-privacy-and-confidentiality-regime/). ## About Helsing ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Helsing builds artificial intelligence-driven autonomous systems and defense hardware to protect democratic nations, integrating airborne, maritime, and electronic warfare capabilities. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series D in progress, May 2026) - **Headquarters**: Munich, Germany - **Founded**: 2021 - **Founders**: Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf, Niklas Köhler ## Core Business - Primary industry: Defense technology, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems - Target customers: NATO-aligned governments, defense ministries, and allied militaries (B2G) - Mission: "Protect our democracies" – using software and AI to enhance battlefield decision-making, precision engagement, and national security ## Products & Services - **HX-2**: AI-enabled strike drone, mass-manufactured in “Resilience Factories” (1,000+ per month) - **HF-1**: AI-powered electronic warfare system (autonomous combat aircraft for electronic attack) - **SG-1 Fathom**: Underwater autonomous glider for maritime surveillance and infrastructure protection - **Cirra**: AI for electronic warfare, already flight-tested (Feb 2026) - **CA-1 Europa**: Joint project with HENSOLDT for advanced electronic attack capabilities - **Altra**: Recce strike software for battlefield intelligence - **Centaur**: AI system for autonomous air dominance - **Lura**: Underwater autonomous mass system ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not disclosed (latest deal $1.2B in progress, May 2026) - **Total Funding**: ~$1.5B (Series D $694M in July 2025; Series C $489M in July 2024; Series B $222M in Sept 2023; Series A $119M in Nov 2021; Seed in Jan 2021) - **Key Investors**: Prima Materia (led Series A & D), General Catalyst (led Series B & C), plus 12 total investors - **Key Partners**: HENSOLDT, EURENCO, Grob Aircraft (subsidiary), Airbus Defence and Space (talent source) - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 78.4% YoY (515 employees per LinkedIn; PitchBook reports 900); second German Resilience Factory operational (Feb 2026); expanded to 17 countries; acquired HELSING LIMITED and Helsing Germany GmbH; 192 active job postings (June 2026) ## Competitive Advantages - **Full-stack defense AI**: Combines software, hardware, and mass manufacturing in-house, unlike traditional primes or pure software firms. - **Resilience Factories**: Proprietary high-volume production lines for drones (1,000 HX-2/month) with local supply chains, enabling rapid scaling. - **Ethical commitment**: Publicly emphasizes responsible AI deployment and democratic governance, differentiating from less transparent competitors. - **Pan-European footprint**: Offices in Munich, London, Paris, Berlin – drawing top talent from across Europe and the US, with strong ties to governments. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling autonomous systems across air, land, sea, and underwater domains. - Deepening partnerships with European defense ministries and industrial primes (e.g., HENSOLDT, EURENCO). - Expanding electronic warfare and AI-powered strike capabilities (e.g., CA-1 Europa, Cirra). - Recruiting heavily for AI research (RL, CV, foundation models, robotics), hardware engineering, and program management. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven**: Explicitly focused on protecting democratic values – attracts talent who want meaningful impact in defense. - **Culture**: Values include “move fast, act with conviction, do what’s right – even when it’s hard”; ground-up playbook, skeptical of conventional wisdom. - **Growth**: 78% YoY headcount growth, 192 open roles, and rapid internal advancement. - **Diverse team**: Combines software engineers, deep learning specialists, program managers from top companies (Palantir, Google, Amazon, BAE Systems, McKinsey). - **Locations**: Hybrid-friendly offices in Munich, London, Paris, Berlin; also remote or flexible for some roles. - **Perks**: Not explicitly listed, but significant investment in R&D and manufacturing suggests strong resources for tools and equipment. ## Sources 1. [helsing.ai](https://helsing.ai/) 2. [helsing.ai/careers](https://helsing.ai/careers) 3. [linkedin.com/company/helsing](https://www.linkedin.com/company/helsing) 4. [pitchbook.com/profiles/company/481513-60](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/481513-60) ## Other roles at Helsing - [Facility Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/facility-coordinator-helsing-munich-fg9e970yzstb) — Munich, Germany - [Senior Product Graphic Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-graphic-designer-helsing-munich-fa2m455ww22c) — Munich, Germany - [Communications Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/communications-intern-helsing-paris-ms057mjegp1n) — Paris, France - [Programme Manager - Air Domain](https://feeny.ai/job/programme-manager-air-domain-helsing-london-wz4vk99n6w6r) — London, United Kingdom - [Product Manager – Perception & Sensor Fusion](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-perception-sensor-fusion-helsing-munich-7b23fka33amw) — Munich, Germany - [Lead Systems Engineer - LO Calculations & Supplier Parts](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-systems-engineer-lo-calculations-supplier-parts-helsing-munich-d6fewtkeprhs) — Munich, Germany - [Lead IT Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-it-engineer-helsing-munich-e8265kqb06mk) — Munich, Germany / Berlin, Germany / London, United Kingdom - [Front Office Coordinator / Guest Service Agent (m/w/d)](https://feeny.ai/job/front-office-coordinator-guest-service-agent-m-w-d-helsing-munich-0zyhmhdtsa1t) — Munich, Germany - [Procurement Project Manager – UK](https://feeny.ai/job/procurement-project-manager-uk-helsing-london-8kzgmjhb21ee) — London, United Kingdom - [Legal Counsel IT & Privacy](https://feeny.ai/job/legal-counsel-it-privacy-helsing-munich-x2gj6hbz0wy6) — Munich, Germany / Berlin, Germany