Systems Engineer (Electro-Optical) - Space - DE

Helsing; München; Vor Ort; EUR 60.000 - 80.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A defence AI company in Germany is seeking a Systems Engineer for Electro-Optical Payload. The role involves guiding the lifecycle of imaging payloads and ensuring systems engineering practices align with customer needs. Ideal candidates will have experience in space applications and optical technologies. This position offers a competitive salary, stock options, and various health and wellness perks, contributing to significant defence projects.

Leistungen

Competitive salary

Stock options (ESOP)

Occupational Pension

Disability Insurance

Relocation support

Gym membership

Mental health support

Monthly social allowances

Enhanced parental leave

Paid family emergency leave

Qualifikationen

• Proven experience in managing payload integration on small-to-medium satellites.
• Deep understanding of camera technologies and radiometry.
• Experience with optical design and analysis software preferred.

Aufgaben

• Serve as the technical authority for electro-optical payload systems.
• Lead the definition of payload specifications from customer requirements.
• Manage technical relationships with suppliers to ensure compliance.

Kenntnisse

Hands-on experience in design and testing of electro-optical instruments

Knowledge of Earth Observation mission principles

Expert-level understanding of payload technologies

Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

Team-player

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Jobbeschreibung

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

The Systems Engineer (Electro-Optical Payload) will act as the company\'s technical authority for all aspects of our electro-optical imaging payloads. This expert role will guide the entire lifecycle of our EO instruments, from mission concept and instrument design to integration, in-orbit commissioning, and performance monitoring. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in space-based cameras and a proven track record of successfully deploying them on Earth Observation missions, with specific experience on EO satellites, ideally in the 100 to 400 kg class.

As a Systems Engineer, you will play a crucial role in connecting business development, solution design, and system realization. You will lead the design and implementation of systems engineering practices for Helsing\'s programmes. This includes creating innovative solutions, defining requirements and architectures aligned with industry standards and best practices, and managing the technical execution of projects.

You will collaborate with internal teams, industry partners and procurement agencies to transform business opportunities into actionable engineering solutions. Furthermore you will align projects with customer needs and ensure efficient execution, serving as a vital link between commercial and realization teams. This role emphasizes a proactive and strategic approach to systems engineering, ensuring high-quality, timely, and cost-effective delivery of activities while promoting collaboration across interdisciplinary teams.

The day-to-day

• Serve as the ultimate technical authority / subject matter expert for electro-optical payload systems within the company.
• Lead the definition of payload specifications derived from the Customer’s mission objectives and requirements, and flow them down to instrument specifications.
• Perform – based on through knowledge of European camera suppliers’ offerings – the trade studies to select and define optimal payload solutions, including sensor technology, optical design, and data handling architectures.
• Oversee the procurement of EO payloads, managing technical relationships with suppliers and partners to ensure compliance and quality.
• Develop and maintain sophisticated performance models for imaging systems, analysing parameters such as GRD, GSD, MTF, SNR, and radiometric accuracy.
• Define and oversee the Assembly, Integration, and Test (AIT) and calibration campaigns for EO instruments at both the payload and satellite level.
• Lead the planning and execution of in-orbit commissioning for the payload, including calibration, validation, and performance verification activities.
• Interface directly with the Mission Systems and Satellite Systems Engineering teams to ensure seamless payload integration, managing critical constraints related to power, thermal, data, and pointing stability.
• Troubleshoot payload anomalies and provide expert analysis throughout the mission lifetime.

You should apply if you

• Proven hands-on experience in the design, development, and testing of electro-optical instruments for space applications.
• Demonstrated experience with payload integration on small-to-medium satellites (100-400 kg class) and managing the associated size, mass, and power budgets / constraints.
• Deep knowledge of Earth Observation mission principles and imaging techniques (e.g., push-broom, staring).
• Expert-level understanding of core payload technologies, including optical telescope design, focal plane assemblies (CMOS/CCD), and radiometry.
• Proven experience in defining and analysing image quality metrics
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Team-player

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

• Hands-on experience with optical design and analysis software.
• Proficiency with analysis and simulation tools such as MATLAB or Python.
• Experience with the full mission lifecycle, including leading in-orbit payload commissioning.
• Experience managing technical aspects of supplier contracts for space hardware.
• Familiarity with on-board data processing and compression techniques for imaging payloads.

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

• 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 stock options (ESOP)
• Occupational Pension and Disability Insurance
• Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation
• Learning: €500 yearly allowance
• Health & wellness: gym membership, mental health support (Nilo.health) and cycle scheme
• Social: regularly 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, remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work at full pay.

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.