Electronics Engineer
London, UK · Oxford, UK
Who we are
Helsing is a defence AI company. Our mission is to protect our democracies. We aim to achieve technological leadership, so that open societies can continue to make sovereign decisions and control their ethical standards.
As democracies, we believe we have a special responsibility to be thoughtful about the development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.
We are an ambitious and committed team of engineers, AI specialists and customer-facing programme managers. We are looking for mission-driven people to join our European teams – and apply their skills to solve the most complex and impactful problems. We embrace an open and transparent culture that welcomes healthy debates on the use of technology in defence, its benefits, and its ethical implications.
As an Electrical/Electronics Engineer, you will architect and own the electrical systems that bring Helsing's platforms to life. You will define electrical architectures, select and specify components, design bespoke electronics, and integrate complex electromechanical assemblies from requirements through to validated prototype. A central part of this role is translating third-party datasheets and technical documentation into well-reasoned design decisions that directly shape platform capability. Working closely with mechanical, software, and systems engineers, your work will accelerate Helsing's ability to field advanced defence capabilities and directly influence the pace and quality of our hardware development programme.
The day-to-day
- Define the electrical architecture of Helsing's platforms, producing wiring diagrams, power distribution schemes, signal routing, grounding strategies, and interface definitions that provide a coherent, robust foundation for the wider system
- Design, build, and validate bespoke PCBs across power, digital, and mixed-signal domains, from schematic capture and layout through to hands-on bring-up, using circuit simulation tools such as LTSpice to de-risk decisions early
- Select and specify system components, including sensors, actuators, controllers, and power components, conducting rigorous trade-offs against performance, cost, availability, and integration constraints informed by thorough datasheet analysis
- Design and integrate cable harnesses, connectors, and communication interfaces such as CAN Bus, Ethernet, and RS422/485, ensuring reliable data and power distribution across complex electromechanical assemblies
- Define and execute unit-level test campaigns, support system-level integration and troubleshooting across hardware and software boundaries, and produce clear design documentation including schematics, BOMs, and integration drawings using Altium Designer or KiCad
- Have professional experience in electrical and electronic system design and integration within aerospace or an equally demanding engineering domain, with a track record of taking hardware from concept to validated prototype
- Can fluently read and apply third-party component datasheets and technical documentation, translating electrical characteristics, constraints, and application notes into robust, well-reasoned design decisions
- Have hands-on PCB design and layout experience and are proficient with ECAD and simulation tools such as Altium Designer, KiCad, and LTSpice, across power, digital, and mixed-signal applications
- Have worked in cross-disciplinary teams alongside mechanical, software, and systems engineers, with ECAD/MCAD co-design experience and a clear understanding of how electrical design decisions affect the wider platform
- Communicate clearly and precisely in English, both in written documentation and in technical discussion, and are comfortable working with incomplete or evolving requirements
Nice to have
- Experience working with RF and radio systems in UAV or aerospace platforms, including antenna integration, link budget analysis, or regulatory compliance
- Practical familiarity with reliability and safety analysis methods such as FMEA and reliability prediction, applied in the context of hardware moving toward production
Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields
Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns
The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world
Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defence industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward
In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts
We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practise responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about
What we offer
Competitive salary and VSOP options
Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation
Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance
Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health)
Social: regular company events and monthly social allowances
Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers
Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work
A hands-on onboarding program (affectionately labelled “Infraduction”), in which you will be building tooling and applications to be used across the company. This is your opportunity to learn our tech stack, explore the company, and learn how we get things done - all whilst working with other engineering teams from day one
Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.