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 a highly skilled and experienced DMU (Digital Mock-Up) Lead, also known as an Assembly Lead, to take ownership of the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) environment and digital product definition within our aerospace anddefenseprograms. This pivotal role involves leading the strategic development, implementation, and management of the Digital Mock-Up process from concept through to manufacturing and in-service support. The successful candidate will ensure the integrity, accuracy, and utility of our digital product models, enabling efficient design, validation, and assembly processes for complex aerospace anddefensesystems.
The DMU Lead will be instrumental in fostering a data-driven design philosophy, leveraging advanced CAD and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) tools to optimize product development cycles, reduce costly errors, and enhance collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. This role demands a strong technical background in mechanical engineering or related fields, exceptional leadership abilities, and a deep understanding of aerospace industry standards anddefenseprogram requirements. Crucially, this role will also own the management of critical product interfaces, ensuring the integrity of Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and overseeing the accurate tracking of product weight.
The day-to-day
DMU & CAD System Ownership:
• Serve as the primary owner and expert for the Digital Mock-Up (DMU) environment, ensuring it functions as the central virtual product definition platform for all design activities.
• Develop, implement, and enforce CADmodelingstandards and methodologies ("one part - one CAD model") to maintain high-quality and consistent digital data.
• Lead the selection, implementation, and optimization of CAD, DMU, and PLM software tools (e.g., CATIA, Creo, 3DEXPERIENCE) to support program needs.
Configuration and Data Management:
• Lead configuration planning, identification, change control, tracking, and verification processes for all CAD models and associated product data.
• Ensure robust management of technical product definition data and facilitate program baseline management, adhering to strict aerospace anddefensecompliance requirements.
• Oversee and review CAD models, detailed drawings, wiring diagrams, assembly instructions, and Bills of Material (BOMs) to ensure compliance with relevant aerospace standards (e.g., AS9100) and customer specifications.
• Ensure proper documentation and traceability of digital assets and completed assemblies.
I nterface Management & ICD Ownership:
• Own the overall interface management process for the product, ensuring seamless integration between components, sub-systems, and external systems.
• Be responsible for the creation, maintenance, and verification of Interface Control Documents (ICDs), ensuring they accurately reflect the digital product definition and are compliant with program requirements.
• Lead the resolution of interface conflicts and discrepancies identified through DMU reviews or system integration activities.
Weight Tracking & Mass Properties Management:
• Own the responsibility for tracking and reporting product weight and mass properties throughout the design lifecycle, leveraging CAD models and associated tools.
• Collaborate with design, stress, and systems engineering teams to ensure accurate mass property estimations and to support the overall vehicle weight management efforts.
• Identify and flag potential weight issues early in the design phase and contribute to weight reduction initiatives.
Digital Validation & Design Reviews:
• Orchestrate and lead collaborative digital mock-up reviews, enabling cross-functional teams to validate functional, logical, and physical definitions against requirements.
• Perform comprehensive interference and clearance analysis (clash detection) on complex assemblies to identify and resolve design issues early in the development lifecycle.
• Drive the resolution of identified issues through effective communication and coordination with design, manufacturing, and quality teams.
Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement:
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives within the CAD/DMU domain, integrating best practices like Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA).
• Implement and sustain lean manufacturing principles within the digital design and assembly planning processes.
• Identify and integrate new technologies and methodologies to enhance DMU capabilities and streamline workflows.
Team Leadership & Collaboration:
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and training to engineering and design teams on DMU processes, CAD tools, and best practices.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration efforts with engineering (structural, electrical, systems), manufacturing, quality assurance, supply chain, and program management to ensure seamless product development.
• Act as a central point of contact for all DMU-related queries and provide problem support to various stakeholders.
Compliance & Security:
• Ensure all DMU activities and data handling comply with aerospace industry regulations, quality standards (AS9100, ISO 9001), anddefense-specific requirements (e.g., FAR/DFARS where applicable to data management).
• Maintain the security and integrity of sensitive digital product data
• Export Control Knowledge beneficial
You should apply if you
• Have Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Have a m inimum of5-10 years of progressive experience in CAD/DMU roles within the aerospace anddefenseindustry.
• Proven experience leading technical projects or teams in a complex engineering environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in Digital Mock-Up validation and management.
• Strong background in product design, engineering, or assembly, specifically with large, complex systems.
• Demonstrated experience with interface management principles and the development/management of Interface Control Documents (ICDs).
• Proven experience in tracking and managing mass properties/weight for complex aerospace products.
Technical Proficiency:
• Expert-level proficiency with major CAD software platforms (e.g.SolidWorks,DassaultSystèmes,Siemens NX) and associated modules for assembly, surfacing, and drafting.
• Extensive experience with PLM systems (e.g., DassaultSystèmes3DEXPERIENCE, Siemens Teamcenter, PTC Windchill) for product data management, configuration management, and change control.
• Proficiency in clash detection and clearance analysis tools and methodologies.
• Solid understanding of GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing).
• Familiarity with mass properties analysis tools and techniques within CAD environments.
• Familiarity with various manufacturing processes and their implications for CAD models and assemblies.
• PDM & PLM experience beneficial
Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematicallyunder-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
• Knowledge of aerospace industry standards (e.g., AS9100) and regulatory requirements.Export Control
• Understanding of the full product lifecycle from concept to manufacturing and sustainment.
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
A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking
Competitive compensation and stock options
Relocation support
Social and education allowances
Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe
A hands-on onboarding program (affectionately labelled "Infraduction”), in which you will be building tooling and applications to be used across the company. This is your opportunity to learn our tech stack, explore the company, and learn how we get things done - all whilst working with other engineering teams from day one
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.
