---
title: 'Simulation / FEA Engineer at Harmattan AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/simulation-fea-engineer-harmattan-ai-lausanne-n0n8ktzrcerm'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-21'
---

# Simulation / FEA Engineer at Harmattan AI

- **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai)
- **Location:** Lausanne, Switzerland
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-21
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/fcd212df-e6ba-42d8-b42c-c8556d8ad4f0

## 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 a Simulation / Mechanical Analysis Engineer on Harmattan AI's Airframe team, you will be the reference for structural, vibration and impact simulation. Your mission is to replace our current trial-and-error loop with a predictive, simulation-driven approach: model the dynamic behaviour of our carbon / plastic / aluminium assemblies, pinpoint the critical zones, and guide design changes before we build and fly. You will also build the tools, templates and methodology that allow the rest of the team to run reliable first-order analyses autonomously. This is primarily a simulation role, with a meaningful share of hands-on design to implement and validate your own recommendations.

## Responsibilities

- Carbon chassis analysis & optimisation: Analyse and optimise carbon chassis (priority: quadcopter platforms) — stiffness, mass, resonance — and act as a performance safeguard to prevent regressions across projects.
- Modal & vibration analysis: Perform modal (eigenfrequency) and harmonic/random vibration analyses on carbon-composite, plastic and aluminium assemblies to identify natural frequencies, mode shapes and resonance risks relative to operating excitations (motors, props, flight loads).
- Crash / shock & impact analysis: Perform dynamic / explicit simulations of crash, shock and impact events (drop tests, crash and impact scenarios) on composite and metallic structures — predicting deformation, damage and failure, and defining design changes to improve survivability and qualify structural limits.
- Structural FEA: Run static, stiffness, fatigue and failure analyses to support design decisions and de-risk new concepts early.
- Composite materials & failure: Apply solid knowledge of composite materials (carbon laminates, anisotropy, delamination and damage/failure criteria) to model both quasi-static and impact behaviour realistically.
- Carbon-composite modelling: Build representative models of laminated / pultruded carbon structures (ply orientation, anisotropy, bonded and bolted joints) and correlate them against physical tests.
- Test correlation: Define and run validation tests (modal hammer / accelerometers / shaker, drop / impact tests, flight data) and correlate simulation vs. measurement to continuously improve model fidelity.
- Design-to-target: Translate simulation results into concrete design changes (geometry, stiffeners, material, joints) and implement part of them yourself in CAD; iterate with the design owners.
- Tooling & methodology: Develop reusable tools, scripts, templates and calculation sheets so the team can run first-order modal/structural checks autonomously, and document the simulation methodology as the team's source of truth.
- Cross-functional work: Collaborate with the design, electronics and industrialisation teams to feed simulation insight into the product, and maintain documentation on Confluence.

Candidate Requirements

- Master's degree in Mechanical / Aerospace Engineering, Structural Mechanics, or a related field.
- Proven experience in FEA, with a strong focus on modal / vibration / dynamic analysis (e.g., Ansys, Abaqus, Nastran, OptiStruct, COMSOL, or similar).
- Solid grounding in structural dynamics and vibration theory (natural frequencies, mode shapes, damping, resonance, FRF).
- Experience in crash / shock / impact simulation (explicit dynamics — e.g. Ansys LS-DYNA, Abaqus/Explicit, Radioss or similar) for drop-test, crash and impact scenarios, including strain-rate and failure modelling.
- Strong knowledge of composite materials (carbon-fibre laminates, anisotropy, layups, joints, and damage / delamination / failure criteria), applied to both vibration and impact behaviour.
- Ability to correlate simulation with physical testing (modal testing, accelerometers, shaker, drop / impact tests, flight data) and judge model validity critically — not just trust the solver output.
- Working proficiency in CAD (SolidWorks preferred) to implement and adjust designs based on analysis.
- Scripting / automation skills (Python, MATLAB, or APDL) to build tools and parametric studies for the team.
- Rigour, ownership and clear documentation habits; able to challenge results and explain them simply to non-specialists.
- Full commitment to Harmattan AI's mission, vision, and growth plans.

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

- [Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/program-manager-harmattan-ai-rabat-f1bwm8xf657x) — Rabat, Morocco
- [Data Annotator](https://feeny.ai/job/data-annotator-harmattan-ai-paris-2x2pwtxfyz9z) — Paris, France
- [Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/operations-manager-harmattan-ai-united-arab-emirates-zyjs834esafp) — United Arab Emirates
- [Automated Testing Module Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/automated-testing-module-lead-harmattan-ai-paris-ahz311za9pyp) — Paris, France
- [Executive Assistant](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-harmattan-ai-zurich-maxpq64eez01) — Zurich, Switzerland
- [Technicien Qualité (Quality Technician)](https://feeny.ai/job/technicien-qualite-quality-technician-harmattan-ai-orly-336gystpxnj5) — Orly, France
- [Mechatronic Engineer - Automation Test Equipment](https://feeny.ai/job/mechatronic-engineer-automation-test-equipment-harmattan-ai-paris-nt6rc3dat3w6) — Paris, France
- [Production Quality Engineer Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/production-quality-engineer-intern-harmattan-ai-orly-pfmddrbpjkdm) — Orly, France
- [MEA HR Generalist](https://feeny.ai/job/mea-hr-generalist-harmattan-ai-rabat-9g2hnw1sxzss) — Rabat, Morocco
- [Embedded Software Engineer - GCS](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-engineer-gcs-harmattan-ai-paris-vpmrn53kgajp) — Paris, France