
Signal Processing Engineer (Radio) at Harmattan AI (Paris, France)
Harmattan AI· Paris, France·
Role details
Harmattan AI at a glance
France's first defense-tech unicorn, building attritable AI-piloted strike, interception, and ISR drones for allied militaries.
Harmattan AI is a vertically integrated defense prime building autonomous drone systems for allied militaries. It designs the full stack, from airframes and payloads to embedded compute and the autonomy algorithms that let drones sense, decide, and act at the edge without GPS or a network link, coordinated across a swarm by its mission-orchestration layer.
$242M raised · latest: Series B · $200M · January 2026 · backed by Dassault Aviation, FirstMark Capital, Atlantic, Motier Ventures
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 Signal Processing Engineer, you own the algorithmic core of our drone-to-ground radio link — the system that keeps drones connected, controllable, and streaming in contested environments. You design the waveform, the anti-jam logic, and the signal intelligence that turn radio waves into a reliable link under hostile conditions, working hand-in-hand with RF hardware, FPGA, and software engineers to bring your algorithms from theory to flight.
Responsibilities
- Waveform Design: Design modulation, coding, and equalization schemes for a robust, low-latency radio link.
- Anti-Jamming (ECCM): Build algorithms that keep the radio link alive under active jamming.
- Signal Intelligence (SIGINT): Detect and characterize other radio emitters in the operating environment.
- Mesh Networking: Optimize protocols so multiple radio units share the airwaves without collision.
- AI-Assisted Processing: Apply machine learning to jamming detection and channel prediction where it improves field robustness.
- Field Validation: Take algorithms from simulation to lab bench to real flight test.
- Radio System Integration: Work daily with RF hardware and FPGA engineers to bring designs into a fielded radio.
Candidate Requirements
- Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Signal Processing, or Applied Mathematics.
- 8-12 years designing radio or communication systems, from algorithms to deployed products.
- Hands-on experience with modem or waveform design: modulation, coding, synchronization, equalization.
- Solid grounding in probability, DSP, and information theory; comfortable deriving solutions from first principles.
- Practical awareness of RF hardware and FPGA constraints (latency, precision, real-time processing).
- Exposure to ECCM, SIGINT, or mesh networking is a strong plus.
- Clear communicator across RF, FPGA, and software disciplines.
- Fluency in English required; French is a plus.
We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.
Why work at Harmattan AI
- 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
- Values: Tackle the hardest problems, build what matters, move at the speed of relevance, and aim to redefine frontiers. harmattan.ai
- 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
- 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.