--- title: '(Senior) Systems Engineer – IT Architect at Helsing' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-engineer-it-architect-helsing-munich-8sevhsy2aabb' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-11' --- # (Senior) Systems Engineer – IT Architect at Helsing - **Company:** Helsing - **Location:** Munich, Germany - **Posted:** 2026-11-06 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-11 - **Apply:** https://helsing.ai/jobs/5029924101?gh_jid=5029924101 ## 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 a (Senior) Systems Engineer – IT Architect, you will define the architecture of the IT estate that supports Helsing's European offices and engineering teams, and build its key parts yourself. Across endpoint, identity, network, on-premises and cloud, you will work with Security, Engineering and IT Operations to turn operational and compliance requirements into clear roadmaps. You will prove your designs with reference implementations, then hand them to the IT Engineers and IT Support team to run. Working in German and English with colleagues, auditors and authorities, you will help Helsing scale across jurisdictions without weakening security or slowing engineers down. The day-to-day - Architect and build end-to-end systems across corporate, development and regulated environments, connecting Microsoft 365, Azure and on-premises infrastructure securely - Design and implement identity, access and device management (Entra ID, Conditional Access, MDM) that enforces Zero Trust on macOS, Windows and Linux endpoints - Define network and boundary protection for European sites and remote work, including segmentation, VPNs, and host- and network-based controls - Set standards and reference builds for on-premises compute on Linux, virtualisation and Kubernetes - Automate with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, Python, PowerShell) so every system is reproducible and auditable - Work with Security, Compliance and external auditors to turn ISO 27001, NIS2, BSI IT-Grundschutz and UK Secure by Design into accreditation-ready architectures - Make key architecture decisions, document the trade-offs, and review designs with IT Engineers and the IT Support team You should apply if you - Have proven experience designing and building enterprise IT systems with security and compliance built in, ideally in defence, government or other regulated sectors - Have hands-on experience with hybrid environments: Linux on-premises, Kubernetes, macOS, Windows, and Azure, Microsoft 365 or AWS - Have built identity, network segmentation and Zero Trust architectures, automated with Infrastructure as Code - Turn ambiguous regulatory and cross-border requirements into clear roadmaps, and explain trade-offs to technical and non-technical colleagues - Collaborate openly across teams and share our commitment to protecting democratic societies - Communicate fluently in German and English (C1) with internal and external stakeholders Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points. ## Nice to Have - Have worked across the Microsoft 365 and Azure security stack (Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Purview) - Have built infrastructure that feeds SIEM platforms and automated response workflows - Have taken systems through formal national or defence accreditation - Have scaled IT systems across several countries in a fast-growing engineering organisation 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 - [Field Engineer - Interceptors](https://feeny.ai/job/field-engineer-interceptors-helsing-london-7wvjvkmm5y99) — London, United Kingdom - [Mecanizador/a Senior y Responsable de Taller](https://feeny.ai/job/mecanizador-a-senior-y-responsable-de-taller-helsing-barcelona-eeb8v88v67jc) — Barcelona, Spain - [Encargado/a de Taller de Mecanizado de Precisión](https://feeny.ai/job/encargado-a-de-taller-de-mecanizado-de-precision-helsing-barcelona-fx7jmfvscsf6) — Barcelona, Spain - [Encargado/a Taller de Mecanizado CNC](https://feeny.ai/job/encargado-a-taller-de-mecanizado-cnc-helsing-barcelona-54y9dd9dv9jj) — Barcelona, Spain - [Robotics Senior NPI Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-senior-npi-engineer-helsing-barcelona-gqmmv2m3qx6z) — Barcelona, Spain - [Robotics Senior Industrialization Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-senior-industrialization-engineer-helsing-barcelona-vkmj3bstg3sy) — Barcelona, Spain - [Robotics Senior DFM Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-senior-dfm-engineer-helsing-barcelona-xvad6ygy62ej) — Barcelona, Spain - [Robotics NPI Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-npi-engineer-helsing-barcelona-q69j4tvv861j) — Barcelona, Spain - [Robotics Industrialization Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-industrialization-engineer-helsing-barcelona-nz2k6h44rzy7) — Barcelona, Spain - [Robotics DFM Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-dfm-engineer-helsing-barcelona-pe9pczd1dfkm) — Barcelona, Spain