Director of Engineering - UAS

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. 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 UAS 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 UAS Engineering teams across Lausanne and Paris — covering aerodynamics, mechanical design, electronics, propulsion, prototyping, and Systems-on-Module (SOM). UAS Engineering's cadence is driven by physical prototypes and test campaigns, and the role spans multiple senior-heavy hardware disciplines. 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 across six hardware engineering disciplines and two sites. - Process Standardisation: Develop and implement standardised work processes across mechanical, electrical, and propulsion engineering 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 Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering, 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 multi-disciplinary hardware engineering teams (30+ engineers) at a UAV, drone, eVTOL, or humanoid / advanced robotics company. You have shipped at least one complex multi-disciplinary hardware system — airframe, propulsion stack, full UAV, or humanoid platform — through prototype to deployment or production, and you know the rhythm of fast-cycle hardware test campaigns and qualification gates. - 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.