Director of Engineering - US Region

Harmattan AI

• $150K — $180K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • MSc in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, or related engineering field; experience may outweigh degree.
  • Proven leadership experience transitioning from engineering to management roles.
  • 10+ years of experience, with at least 4 years in engineering management.
  • Experience in scaling engineering sites and rapid hiring processes.
  • Track record of guiding hardware systems through qualification to series production.
  • Familiarity with UAV, autonomous systems, or advanced robotics.
  • Strong technical engagement across multiple engineering disciplines.

Responsibilities

  • Build and lead the engineering organization, including hiring key roles.
  • Manage projects to ensure delivery of key milestones.
  • Own the full technical chain from airframe to flight tests.
  • Oversee and mentor engineering managers while conducting design reviews.
  • Develop and maintain a robust supplier ecosystem.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to shape the future of autonomous defense systems.
  • Engage in a dynamic and innovative work environment.
  • Work with cutting-edge technology in the defense sector.
  • Collaborate with a talented team of engineers and leaders.
Full Job Description
About the Role

As the Director of Engineering at Harmattan AI, you will build and lead an engineering organisation with various engineering modules from the ground up.

You will own the full technical chain, take the system through qualification and into series production, and build a supplier base and engineering ecosystem that sustains it.

Responsibilities
  • Organisation Building: Stand up the engineering group including hiring key engineering roles.
  • Project Management: Act as a project manager handling the delivery of key milestones.
  • Technical Ownership: Own the full technical chain across airframe, propulsion, avionics, launcher and ground segment, through to flight test and trials.
  • People Management & Mentorship: Manage managers while staying close to the engineering, run regular design reviews across multiple disciplines.
  • Supplier Ecosystem: Develop a supplier base.


Candidate Requirements
  • Educational Background: An MSc in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical or a strongly related engineering field. A track record of building organisations will outweigh the degree.
  • Proven Leadership: An engineer who moved into management and then into managing managers.
  • Experience: 10+ years, with at least 4 in engineering management. You have stood up or materially scaled an engineering site, including hiring at pace.
  • Track Record: You have taken a hardware system through qualification and into series production. Background in UAV, autonomous systems or advanced robotics.
  • Technical Engagement: While this is a leadership role, you remain credible across every discipline in the group without claiming depth in any, and you take written positions on the cross-module questions no one else will close.
  • Commitment: 100% dedication to Harmattan AI's mission of building autonomous defence systems


We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.

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