Security Officer

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 a Security Officer at Harmattan AI, you will be on the front line of protecting our people, our sites, and our most sensitive assets across all of our entities, in France and abroad. You will execute the company's security policy day-to-day, run institutional touchpoints with the relevant authorities in every jurisdiction where we operate, and own the screening, risk analysis, and economic intelligence workflows that defense work demands. This role requires discretion, rigor, and a strong execution mindset. You will operate in a fast-paced, deeply international environment where the stakes are high and attention to detail is non-negotiable. Responsibilities Safeguarding People, Sites, and the Company Across Geographies - Execute the security policy across all Harmattan AI sites and entities, covering physical security, personnel safety, and corporate protection. - Coordinate the operational deployment of security systems across all sites, as well as every new facility, office, or international expansion — from site selection and specification through vendor selection, installation, commissioning, and ongoing operation. - Run access control, site hardening, surveillance, incident response, and travel security, including on-call response anywhere we operate. - Conduct security audits across sites, entities, and processes, identifying gaps and driving remediation through to completion. Drafting Risk Analyses and Anticipating Threats - Produce structured risk analyses covering physical, human, informational, and reputational exposure across activities, sites, and counterparties. - Anticipate reputational risks tied to partnerships, jurisdictions, contracts, and public exposure, and surface them to leadership with clear mitigation paths. - Maintain and continuously sharpen the company's business continuity plan and threat picture, ensuring resilience across sites and scenarios. - Protect the company's strategic information, IP, and know-how across teams and borders. Interfacing with Governments and Public Services - Act as a day-to-day point of contact with state administrations, defense ministries, and regulatory bodies in each country where Harmattan AI is present. - Manage classification frameworks, accreditations, and protected-area regimes across multiple national systems, ensuring full compliance without slowing the business down. - Manage personnel security clearances end-to-end across jurisdictions, from initial applications and renewals to need-to-know access controls and offboarding. Screening Partners, Hires, and Intermediaries — at scale - Run due diligence on partners, suppliers, intermediaries, and candidates across all jurisdictions we operate in. - Design and build automated screening workflows covering sanctions, beneficial ownership, adverse media, and foreign-interference exposure, scaling with the company's growth. - Identify other security workflows that can be automated, and partner with engineering to ship them. - Prepare clear, structured assessments to support go/no-go decisions on sensitive counterparties. Requirements - Minimum 7 years of experience in a security or defense-related role, ideally with a background in armed forces, state administration, or an equivalent institutional environment. - Familiarity with national regulatory frameworks for protected information and sites, and the ability to operate across multiple regimes. - Proven ability to draft clear, structured risk and threat analyses for decision-makers. - Professional proficiency in English (C1 minimum mandatory) and French; additional languages are a strong plus. - Strong judgment, absolute discretion, and the ability to operate calmly under pressure. - Comfortable handling multiple sensitive topics in parallel, across time zones and jurisdictions. - Comfortable engaging with public officials, executives, and operational teams alike. We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.