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
As the Lead CAS Designer at Helsing, you will spearhead all surface design activities, guiding projects from initial concept creation and refinement through to feasibility, tooling, optimisation, and seamless serial production. This pivotal role demands a unique ability to navigate between broad, cross-functional integration and deep technical surfacing work, ensuring both overarching alignment and meticulous detail-level excellence. You will act as a vital bridge, fostering seamless integration between industrial design, engineering, manufacturing, and suppliers, ensuring that design intent translates flawlessly into production realities. Furthermore, you will play a crucial role in establishing and evolving Helsing's distinctive Design DNA.
The day-to-day
Develop and validate Class A surfaces, ensuring they align with aesthetic, functional, and manufacturing requirements
Drive real-world testing, mock-up evaluations, and tactile reviews, translating digital design visions into tangible, high-quality products
Ensure design quality, manufacturability, and feasibility, while optimising for performance, cost, and time-to-market
Coordinate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, managing timelines and prioritising tasks in a fast-paced environment
Maintain and promote a structured, independent working style
Lead design surface processes and reviews, approve technical deliverables, and drive decision-making across disciplines
This role offers the opportunity to be part of Helsing's transformation into a leading hardware manufacturer, complementing our core software competence
Collaborate closely with product teams, engineers, marketing, and project leadership
Work simultaneously on multiple projects at various maturity levels, from early sketch phases through to tooling release and production ramp-up
Regularly switch between strategic thinking and hands-on execution, adapting your role based on project needs and priorities
Serve as the go-to expert for surface quality, visual continuity, and manufacturability, providing essential guidance and support across teams
Engage daily with industrial designers, engineers, tooling experts, and suppliers to resolve technical challenges and create exceptional products
You should apply if you
Have extensive experience in surface design, with a proven track record of delivering successful products from concept to mass production
Have experience operating as a Lead Modeller
Are an expert in Class A surfacing tools, STRAK, and Poly/Sub-D modelling (e.g., Alias, Catia, or similar)
Possess strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, materials, and design for manufacturing principles and costs
Hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree, or a Diploma, in Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
Can demonstrate project leadership and stakeholder management skills across global and cross-functional teams
Have excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate design intent and technical requirements clearly
Are comfortable multitasking and operating in multidisciplinary, fast-moving environments
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.
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
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.
