Senior Programme Manager - Militarisation - Air

Helsing; München; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Learning allowance

Health & wellness benefits

Company social events

Enhanced parental leave

Remote work option during pregnancy

Job summary

Helsing GmbH in Munich seeks an experienced Programme Manager for CA-1 militarisation. You will own end-to-end delivery, coordinating across Engineering, Product, Procurement, Legal and Compliance to translate customer commitments into executable plans while ensuring MIL-Spec, STANAG and NATO standards from development to delivery.

You will liaise with government customers and industry partners, manage schedules, risk, and budget, and drive delivery in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Delivered complex militarisation programmes end-to-end in defence/aerospace.
• Interface with government customers and defence partners.
• Coordinated Engineering, Product, Procurement, Legal and Compliance.
• Applied MIL-Spec, STANAG and NATO requirements across delivery.
• Managed programme schedule, risk registers and budget.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end programme delivery for CA-1 militarisation.
• Interface with government customers and industry partners for priorities.
• Align cross-functional teams to shared programme objectives.
• Oversee qualification, testing and trial campaigns; monitor schedule and budget.
• Ensure compliance with MIL-Spec, STANAG/NATO and airworthiness rules.

Skills

Militarisation programme delivery

Government/customer interface

Cross-functional leadership

MIL-Spec/STANAG/NATO compliance

Schedule, risk & budget management

Job description

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.

The role

This role holds end-to-end accountability for the militarisation of CA-1, working as programme counterpart to the Chief Engineer and serving as the primary interface between Helsing and its government customers, industry partners, and internal teams. You will bring structure and clarity to complex, multi-workstream programmes, ensuring platform and system development meets MIL-Spec, STANAG, and NATO standards from early-stage development through to qualified delivery. Coordinating across Engineering, Product, Procurement, Legal, and Compliance, you will translate customer commitments into executable plans and protect programme integrity at every stage.

The day-to-day

• Own end-to-end programme delivery for CA-1 militarisation, acting as the central point of coordination between Chief Engineering and all relevant sub-streams to maintain schedule integrity and protect the quality of deliverables
• Serve as the primary interface with government customers and industry partners, translating contractual commitments into clear internal priorities and maintaining alignment across a complex, multi-stakeholder environment
• Bring together Engineering, Product, Procurement, Legal, and Compliance teams around shared programme objectives, resolving cross-functional dependencies and keeping customer commitments on track
• Oversee qualification, testing, and trial campaigns, maintaining a live view of programme schedule, risk, and budget to surface issues early and keep delivery on course
• Ensure platform and system development remains compliant with MIL-Spec standards, STANAG and NATO requirements, airworthiness regulations, and all relevant security and contractual obligations throughout the programme lifecycle

You should apply if you

• Have delivered complex militarisation programmes end-to-end, from early-stage development through qualification, testing, and operational handover in a defence or aerospace environment
• Have served as the primary programme interface with government customers and defence industry partners, managing commitments and expectations across multi-stakeholder environments
• Have coordinated cross-functional teams, including Engineering, Product, Procurement, Legal, and Compliance, around shared programme objectives in a regulated, time-critical context
• Have applied MIL-Spec standards, STANAG and NATO requirements, and airworthiness regulations as a core part of active programme delivery
• Have managed programme schedule, risk registers, and budget across multiple concurrent sub-streams, making sound decisions under ambiguity and complexity

Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with European defence procurement processes and direct engagement experience at government level across multiple national customers
• Experience working across software-hardware integration programmes in a militarised or dual-use technology context

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

These are the core benefits across all locations; there may be additional benefits in specific sites.

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.