Associate Director, Programmes - Space

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

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Associate Director / Senior Programme Manager to lead the development and delivery of our space-based tactical surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition system. This is a critical leadership position responsible for orchestrating a complex, multi-year programme as part of our recently announced consortium . As part of the joint venture you will be responsible for ensuring the overall programme’s success whilst also focusing on the specific AI and software elements being developed by Helsing.

The day-to-day

• Leadership : Provide overall direction and management for the ISR constellation, ensuring alignment with the company’s strategic objectives and stakeholder requirements.
• Cross-functional Management: Coordinate and lead multidisciplinary teams from different partner companies (payload, bus, software, as well as launch, ground and operations segments) to achieve programme milestones.
• Technical Oversight: Ensure the successful development of artificial intelligence and software and how this is integrated and testing into the overall constellation.
• Schedule and Budget Management: Develop, maintain, and control integrated master schedules, cost baselines, and resource allocation to ensure the programme is delivered on time and within budget.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate programme risks and opportunities, developing contingency plans as needed.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as the primary interface with internal leadership, external partners, customers, and government stakeholders, managing expectations and fostering strong relationships.
• Reporting and Communication : Provide regular, clear, and concise status updates, reports, and presentations to senior management, customers, and stakeholders on programme progress, issues, and accomplishments.
• Contract Management: Oversee contract execution, manage supplier relationships, and ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.

You should apply if you

• Speak fluent German
• Proven experience in programme or project management within the automotive, aviation, defence or space industry, with a preference for experience with satellite systems and constellations
• Demonstrated success in managing complex, multidisciplinary projects from concept to delivery, including the ability to manage budgets, schedules, and risks
• Expertise in consortium management, ensuring the programme’s success across multiple partners, suppliers and sub-suppliers
• Proven experience in delivering software-intensive programmes, in-depth knowledge of SDLC and integrating software into hardware/systems
• Expertise in programme management methodologies, tools (e.g., Jira, MS Project), and best practices; formal management certificate considered a plus
• Exceptional leadership, communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills
• Are eligible for and willing to undergo clearance process for a German “Ü2” Personal Security Clearance.

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

• Master's degree in Engineering (Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical, Computer Science), or a related technical field, or equivalent experience in programme management.
• Familiarity with SAR technology and its applications.
• Familiarity with artificial intelligence within an aerospace, defence and/or space context.

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

• Competitive salary and VSOP options

• Occupational Pension and Disability Insurance

• Relocation suppor t: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation

• Learning : €500 yearly allowance

• Health & wellness: gym membership, mental health support (Nilo.health) and cycle scheme

• Social : regularly company events and monthly social allowances

• Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers

• Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work at full pay

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 .