Lead Systems Integration Engineer – Defense & Counter-UAS

Emergent Swarm Solutions; Delft; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

8% holiday allowance

25 vacation days

International travel opportunities

Job summary

Emergent is a fast-growing defense technology company in Delft focusing on autonomous aerial systems and C-UAS solutions. We seek a Lead Systems Integration Engineer to own system architecture, integration and validation across sensors, C2 software and effectors.

You will lead a small team, contribute hands-on, and guide technical decisions while ensuring robust operation from simulation to field deployment, with international travel and on-site work in Delft.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science or related field.
• Experience in systems engineering and integration across subsystems.
• Strong communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end systems integration and ensure interoperability of sensors, C2 software and effectors.
• Define system architecture, interfaces and data models for ICDs and subsystems.
• Lead and mentor engineers, contribute hands-on in development and debugging.
• Own verification and validation from simulation to field trials and deployment.
• Collaborate with customers to translate requirements into working solutions.

Skills

Systems integration

Engineering leadership

Linux

C++

Python

System architecture

HIL/SIL testing

English communication

Education

Engineering degree

Computer Science degree

Job description

Emergent is a fast-growing defense technology company based in Delft, developing autonomous aerial systems and advanced Counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions. We combine sensors, command-and-control software, and autonomous technologies to detect, track and counter drone threats.

Backed by significant investment and working with international defense partners, our team of 20 engineers and specialists is building technology for real-world deployment.

Your role

We're looking for an experienced Lead Systems Integration Engineer to take technical ownership of our Counter-UAS system architecture, integration and validation.

You bring together radar, RF, EO/IR sensors, communications, command-and-control (C2) software and effectors into reliable, operational systems.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role combining system architecture, engineering, integration testing and team guidance.

You don't necessarily need Counter-UAS experience. We also welcome engineers with strong backgrounds in defense, aerospace, radar, robotics or other complex, mission-critical systems.

What you'll do

• Lead end-to-end systems integration, connecting sensors, C2 software, communications and effectors into one interoperable system.
• Define system architecture and interfaces, including ICDs, data models and subsystem integration.
• Integrate sensor fusion, tracking and decision-support capabilities into reliable operational workflows.
• Lead and mentor engineers, while contributing hands-on to development, troubleshooting and technical decisions.
• Own system verification and validation, from simulation and HIL/SIL testing to field trials and deployment.
• Collaborate with customers and partners to translate operational requirements into working solutions.

What you bring

• 5+ years of relevant engineering experience, including complex hardware/software systems integration.
• A degree in Engineering, Computer Science or a related field.
• Strong experience in systems engineering, system architecture and integration across multiple subsystems.
• Experience with sensors, distributed systems, communications interfaces or mission-critical software.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects or engineering teams.
• Hands-on knowledge of Linux, C++ and/or Python, and system-level debugging.
• Experience with integration testing, verification and validation.
• Strong communication skills in English.
• EU and/or NATO citizenship required.
• Allowed to work in the Netherlands (no visa sponsorship possible).

Nice to have:

Experience with Counter-UAS, IAMD, radar systems, C2, sensor fusion, defense interoperability standards (STANAG, ASTERIX, Link 16), ROS, PX4 or HIL/SIL testing.

What we offer

• Competitive salary, 8% holiday allowance and 25 vacation days.
• A key technical leadership role with significant ownership and influence.
• Hands-on work with cutting-edge defense and autonomous systems.
• A small, ambitious team with direct access to technical decision-makers.
• International project exposure and opportunities for growth.
• Commuting compensation.
• Full-time, on-site position in Delft, with international travel, including to Ukraine.