Software Engineer - Corporate Tooling 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
Summary
Design and build internal tools, AI-powered agents, and automation workflows to streamline operations and support teams. The role involves developing backend services, dashboards, and integrations while ensuring code quality and reliability within a defense technology environment.
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
We are looking for a Lead Software Engineer to architect and scale our Manufacturing Execution System (MES). At Harmattan AI, we treat our MES as a core software product, not just any MES, but essential to our factory’s traceability, quality, and analytics.
You will co-design the architecture with the Head of Corporate Tooling and set the technical standards that will allow us to scale our organization.
Responsibilities
Architecture & Strategic Ownership
- Review and redesign the strategic architecture of the MES custom layer to support high-scale factory operations.
- Drive technical improvements across all features, including quality management, automation, and deep integrations.
- Establish and enforce technical standards for the broader MES footprint, covering accounting, purchasing, quality and others.
Product Development (ERP / MES)
- Translate the current subset of ERP open-source manufacturing into a scalable, industrial-grade MES that supports our factory ramp-up.
- Hands-on coding (modules, integrations, and code reviews).
- Develop a version 2 of the MES for production, designed to be deployed across the factory.
Leadership & Team Building
- Audit existing systems and deliver a comprehensive MES roadmap within your first 90 days.
- Mentor junior engineers and serve as the technical reference point for operational tooling.
Operational Integration
- Work closely with stakeholders in Manufacturing, Quality, and Procurement to translate vague operational needs into clean technical specifications.
- Collaborate directly with the Head of Manufacturing and Head of Quality to ensure the MES meets rigorous defense-tech standards.
- As a vertically integrated industry, we consider our factory as a product.
Candidate Requirements
- 4–7+ years of software engineering experience at a fast-paced, tech-forward company.
- Strong architectural instincts and proficiency in Python. You have a proven track record of shipping non-trivial systems to production at scale.
- Education: Degree from a top-tier engineering school in Software Engineering.
- Exposure to MES or manufacturing systems is a plus. We prioritize sharpness and core engineering excellence over specific tool experience.
- Highly ambitious, self-driven and looking for ownership.
- Excellent written and verbal communication in English and French, capable of leading diverse principals – from junior members to senior executives ; proven ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Commitment: 100% dedication to Harmattan AI’s mission, vision, and ambitious growth plans, ready to go the extra mile to ensure operational excellence.
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.