CNC Specialist - Physical Products

Helsing; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A defence AI company in the UK seeks a skilled CNC Specialist to join their R&D maritime team. The role requires proficiency in CNC machinery operation and programming. You will be responsible for producing precision components and working closely with engineers. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in CNC turning and milling, along with strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail. This is an opportunity to contribute to advanced defence capabilities while working in a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Relocation support

Social and education allowances

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a CNC Turner and CNC Miller in R&D.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings.
• Strong understanding of machining processes.

Responsibilities

• Create machining programs with CAM software.
• Maintain and document machine park.
• Participate in prototype assembly.

Skills

CNC programming (G-code, Mazatrol, Fanuc)

Machining processes

Precision measuring instruments

CAD software familiarity

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Technical certification or apprenticeship

Tools

CAM software

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

As an CNC Specialist you are a skilled and detail-oriented CNC Turner and Miller to join our R&D maritime team. You are proficient in operating and setting up CNC lathes and milling machines to produce precision components according to technical drawings or CAD files and specifications. You are responsible for carrying out the CAM and manufacturing stages. You will work in close collaboration with mechatronics engineers and test field engineers. Your role will be crucial in enabling the team to rapidly produce prototypes and validate iterations, directly supporting our mission to provide advanced defence capabilities.

The day-to-day

• Create machining programs with CAM software from CAD files or drawings
• Ensure the maintenance and documentation of the machine park and the renewal of tools
• Ensure the supply of raw materials
• Participate in prototype assembly
• Participate in R&D team meetings
• Participate in the development of safety rules and their enforcement
• Supervise other machinists

You should apply if you

• Have a proven experience as a CNC Turner and CNC Miller with a strong emphasis on producing small series and prototypes within an R&D environment with tight turnaround of parts and understanding requirements for research and development projects.
• Have ability to read and interpret technical drawings, blueprints, and schematics with a focus on understanding requirements for research and development projects.
• Are proficient with CNC programming (e.g., G-code, Mazatrol, Fanuc) and experience with CAM software for prototype development.
• Have experience with precision measuring instruments.
• Have a strong understanding of machining processes, materials, and tooling, with the ability to adapt to new materials and techniques for experimental parts.
• Have an excellent attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and the ability to troubleshoot and iterate on designs quickly in a prototyping context.
• Are able to work independently or as part of a team, collaborating effectively with R&D engineers and designers.
• Basic mathematical skills, including geometry and trigonometry, are beneficial.
• High school diploma or equivalent; technical certification or apprenticeship is preferred.
• Familiarity with CAD software for viewing and potentially modifying designs is a plus.
• Experience with machine maintenance and tool management to ensure minimal downtime during critical R&D phases.

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

• Experience or familiarity with marine-grade materials (e.g., specific stainless steels, marine-grade aluminum alloys, bronze, titanium) and their machinability.
• Understanding of the challenges posed by marine environments, such as corrosion resistance and saltwater exposure, and how material selection and machining processes can address these.
• Experience with multi-axis CNC machining (4, or 5-axis).
• Experience with rapid prototyping for marine applications.
• Experience with water jet cutter machines.

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

• A focus on outcomes, not time‑tracking
• Competitive compensation and stock options
• Relocation support
• Social and education allowances
• Regular company events and all‑hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe
• 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.

Helsing's Candidate Privacy and Confidentiality Regime can be found here.