Software Engineer - Drone Simulator 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
Develop and maintain flight-simulation tools and features for an autonomous defense drone simulator. The role involves architectural design, pipeline integration, performance optimization, and cross-functional collaboration to support mission-critical systems.
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 our GNC, ML, Embedded Software, and Validation teams scale, Harmattan AI requires dedicated internal software infrastructure to accelerate development and testing. Joining the Tooling team you will be responsible for developing a "state-of-the-art" drone simulator to support our advanced autonomous defence applications. This role offers high ownership and the opportunity to work at the intersection of software engineering, simulation, and AI robotics with direct mission impact.
Responsibilities
- Simulator Development: Design, develop, and maintain flight-simulation-related tools and features.
- Architectural Design: Define technical solutions, including architecture, APIs, and UIs, to respond to specific project needs.
- Performance Optimisation: Analyze simulator performance across various aspects and implement necessary improvements.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with GNC, ML, and Embedded teams to establish specifications for new features and ensure the tool meets user needs.
- Documentation & Standards: Write clear documentation and tutorials, and eventually mentor junior developers to standardise best practices.
Candidate Requirements
- Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in software engineering.
- Technical Proficiency: Strong software skills in C++ and Python, with a good knowledge of Linux system internals.
- Domain Expertise: Significant experience with drones or robotic systems, including practical understanding of embedded software (GNC, gimbal, video) and open-source autopilots like PX4 or Ardupilot.
- Simulation & Graphics: Experience in development with game engines (Unreal Engine preferred) or contributing to 3D video game engines (physics or visual realism).
- Educational Background: MSc or BSc in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Robotics, or a similar technical field; equivalent professional experience is equally valued.
- Leadership & Mindset:
- User Empathy: Ability to balance user feedback with technical vision to build effective R&D tools.
- Problem Solving: Proven capacity to handle complex projects, from scoping and prioritising to delivering results under evolving requirements.
- Commitment: 100% dedication to Harmattan AI’s mission and a "no-task-is-too-small" mentality in a fast-paced environment.
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.