---
title: 'System Engineer at Harmattan AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/system-engineer-harmattan-ai-lausanne-q9s0zw0yx7qm'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-12'
---

# System Engineer at Harmattan AI

- **Company:** [Harmattan AI](https://feeny.ai/companies/harmattan-ai)
- **Location:** Lausanne, Switzerland
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-12
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/harmattan-ai/b6e85de9-8d3f-47e5-96a0-dde16f5990a0

## 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 System Engineer, you will own the architecture, system definition and implementation of one of our robotic systems — from concept to field deployment. You will work hand-in-hand with project managers and technical leads to translate mission needs into system-level designs, coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, and ensure overall system performance, robustness, and reliability.

## Responsibilities

- System Architecture: Transform system requirements into architectures solutions.
- Technical Coordination: Lead cross-functional design across mechanical, electrical, software, GNC, and ML teams.
- Trade-Off & Design Analysis: Conduct feasibility studies, trade-off analyses, and system-level simulations to guide technical choices.
- Integration & Validation: Oversee system integration, prototyping, and validation, ensuring performance targets are achieved.
- System Reviews: Drive design and architecture reviews, maintaining consistency between requirements, design, and testing.
- Continuous Improvement: Implement processes to enhance requirements traceability, system documentation, and validation workflows.

Candidate Requirements

- 5+ years of experience in system engineering within robotics, aerospace, or defense sectors.
- MSc in Engineering (any field); PhD is a plus.
- Proven experience leading full system lifecycles (concept → prototype → validation).
- Strong background in system architecture, requirements engineering, and trade-off analysis.
- Broad engineering culture with understanding of mechanical, electrical, and embedded systems.
- Experience coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and managing technical interfaces.
- Rigorous, structured, and mission-driven mindset with strong analytical skills.
- Excellent communication and documentation abilities.
- Bonus: Experience with UAS or defense systems.

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

- [Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-harmattan-ai-paris-nzhwz07wehpe) — Paris, France
- [Validation Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/validation-technician-harmattan-ai-lausanne-vq4cp2r0sjcm) — Lausanne, Switzerland
- [Procurement Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/procurement-manager-harmattan-ai-orly-7zg8fv4980h3) — Orly, France
- [Superviseur de ligne de production](https://feeny.ai/job/superviseur-de-ligne-de-production-harmattan-ai-orly-yy8sgm1e18fj) — Orly, France
- [Jira Architect](https://feeny.ai/job/jira-architect-harmattan-ai-paris-c8nbe051qsse) — Paris, France
- [Optical Engineer - Camera](https://feeny.ai/job/optical-engineer-camera-harmattan-ai-paris-y7vax6tgp50p) — Paris, France
- [Director Global Logistics](https://feeny.ai/job/director-global-logistics-harmattan-ai-paris-sjmznh75hm0a) — Paris, France
- [Flight Operation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/flight-operation-engineer-harmattan-ai-austin-br7hvn5vz7wp) — Austin, TX
- [ERP Architect (Odoo)](https://feeny.ai/job/erp-architect-odoo-harmattan-ai-paris-4gnm23xz3dmt) — Paris, France
- [Head of Marketing US](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-marketing-us-harmattan-ai-austin-s0fsc4mmshd6) — Austin, TX