RF Systems Engineering Director - People & Process Leader

Harmattan AI; Paris; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmattan AI in Paris seeks a Director of Engineering for RF Systems. You will bridge R&D modules with leadership, building high-performing teams, standardising engineering practices, and guiding the long-term technical vision in a cleared-defence environment.

You will lead RF, radar, and EW engineering efforts, drive recruitment, tooling improvements, and cross-functional delivery, while maintaining hands-on engagement with technical work and a strong emphasis on excellence and execution.

Qualifications

• Experience leading radar, RF, EW teams in defence or cleared environments.
• Proven leadership transitioning from IC to management with technical depth.
• Fluent in French and English; active cleared status is a plus.

Responsibilities

• People management & mentorship: oversee performance reviews, career growth, and training initiatives.
• Recruitment: own recruitment process to build and maintain a high-performing team in a cleared-defence RF/EW market.
• Process standardisation: develop standardised work processes across radar, radio, EW, and signal-processing teams.
• Engineering infrastructure: audit and improve internal tooling and decide between off-the-shelf vs. custom solutions.
• Organisational strategy: contribute to company structure and cross-functional delivery.
• Vision & execution: collaborate with leadership to build the long-term technical vision.

Skills

People management

Recruitment

Process standardisation

Engineering tooling

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Bilingual English/French

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

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.

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 the Director of Engineering for RF Systems at Harmattan AI, you will act as a vital management layer between R&D modules and leadership, focusing on elevating our people and standardising our engineering excellence. This is a "hands-off" people management role designed to relieve pressure on senior leadership by building high-performing teams, improving internal tooling, and standardising work processes across the company without sacrificing execution speed. You will be a visionary partner to our leadership, contributing to organisational structure and the long-term technical vision. In this role, you will lead our RF Systems teams in Paris - covering radar, radio, and electronic warfare. This is research-heavy, defence-critical engineering at the boundary of physics and product, operating under cleared-environment constraints that differ from commercial work.

Responsibilities

People Management & Mentorship:
Act as a dedicated people manager for engineers, overseeing performance reviews, career growth, and training initiatives.
Recruitment:
Own the recruitment process as the number one priority, building and maintaining an effective engineering team to meet our ambitious growth plans in a scarce, cleared-defence RF and EW talent market.
Process Standardisation:
Develop and implement standardised work processes across radar, radio, EW, and signal-processing teams to ensure high-quality output and consistency.
Engineering Infrastructure:
Audit and improve internal tooling - deciding between off-the-shelf and custom solutions - to ensure engineers have the best resources to succeed.
Organisational Strategy:
Contribute to the organisational structure by reorganising modules and initiating changes to optimise cross-functional (XFN) delivery.
Vision & Execution:
Collaborate with leadership to build the company vision, bringing fresh ideas to the table rather than just executing existing plans.

Candidate Requirements

Educational Background:
A strong academic record in Electrical Engineering, RF, Signal Processing, or a related technical field.
Proven Leadership:
Previous experience as an Individual Contributor (IC) who has successfully transitioned into a management role, allowing you to deeply understand the technical challenges your team faces.

Experience

Direct experience leading radar, RF, electronic warfare, or RF navigation engineering teams in a defence prime or cleared-environment scale-up. You have led at least one programme through qualification under MIL-STD, NATO STANAG, or TEMPEST discipline. Fluent French and English required; active or recent cleared status (FR, NL, UK, or EU equivalent) is a strong plus.

Technical Engagement

While this is a management-focused role, you should still possess a desire to "keep your hands dirty" and remain engaged with the technical aspects of the work.

Soft Skills & Communication

Exceptional soft skills and communication abilities, with a "high-bar" for excellence and a natural ability to elevate those around them.

Commitment

100% dedication to Harmattan AI's mission of building autonomous defence systems and a readiness to thrive in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.