Lead Systems Engineer - Active RF Sensing
As the Lead Systems Engineer for Active RF Sensing at Helsing, you will oversee the complete system engineering and integration of airborne Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar systems, guiding them from initial requirements through to flight testing and operational deployment. This pivotal role involves translating mission needs into specific radar performance requirements, developing concepts of operations, and ensuring seamless technical integration with airframes and mission systems. Additionally, you will manage supplier relationships, ensure compliance with low observability constraints, and lead verification and testing campaigns to deliver fully qualified, mission-ready sensors.
Your primary responsibilities will include day-to-day system engineering and integration of airborne radar systems, translating mission needs into radar performance requirements such as detection range, radar cross-section assumptions, coverage, update rate, track quality, latency, and environmental constraints. You will develop and maintain radar concepts of operations and mode sets, including mode scheduling and mission-phase behavior. Furthermore, you will drive antenna and aperture integration, focusing on placement, field of view alignment, radome impacts, thermal and structural constraints, and maintainability considerations. Managing RF performance, building and maintaining end-to-end performance models, and ensuring radar support for low observability constraints are also key aspects of the role. Planning and executing verification and testing, coordinating with software and avionics teams on data interfaces, managing supplier technical control, and defining and maintaining interfaces to avionics and mission systems are essential duties.
The ideal candidate will hold a relevant degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field. You should have experience in delivering airborne radar capabilities through integration, testing, and operational release. The ability to translate operational scenarios into radar key performance indicators and flow them into verifiable requirements is crucial. Practical experience with radar modes and scheduling, understanding of RF and antenna integration, and a low observability and signature-aware mindset are important. Experience in leading verification and testing, as well as managing supplier technical control, is also required.
Helsing offers a focus on outcomes rather than time-tracking, competitive compensation and stock options, relocation support, social and education allowances, and regular company events to foster team cohesion across Europe. The company operates in a domain with unique technical requirements and constraints, where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world. Helsing actively encourages healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about its work and how it chooses to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted and encouraged to practice responsible autonomy and critical thinking, focusing on outcomes rather than conformity. At Helsing, you will have a say in how the company and you work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of the culture that you care deeply about.