Software Engineer - Autonomous Air Systems

About the role

You'll build the autonomy brain for Helsing's cutting-edge autonomous aerial platform, the CA-1 Europa UCAV. Working at the intersection of machine learning and systems engineering, you'll integrate reinforcement learning agents into high-performance runtime systems for real-time autonomous decision-making in flight.

What you'll do

• Maintain existing software stack (Rust and Python) and work with customers to identify issues and improve performance
• Develop tests and benchmarks including hardware-in-the-loop simulations and flight testing
• Review code contributions, proposals, and RFCs ensuring robustness and safety standards for airborne applications
• Propose and implement new features, algorithms, and infrastructure across the stack
• Mentor colleagues and support interviewing pipeline development
• Share technical knowledge through tech talks and learning groups
• Integrate reinforcement learning agents with runtime systems for autonomous decision-making
• Handle distributed systems and communications with intermittent connectivity

What you'll need

• Strong backend or embedded development experience with Rust, Go, or C++
• Python experience for ML-heavy sections of the stack
• Ability to write legible, maintainable, and performant code
• Excellent English communication skills, both verbal and written
• Experience collaborating through code reviews and pair programming
• Comfort with asynchronous work including PRs, RFCs, and email discussions
• Drive to improve yourself, peers, and work culture over time
• Strong consideration for ethical aspects of engineering

Nice to have

• Rust and Python experience specifically
• Experience deploying Reinforcement Learning or Machine Learning agents in real-world systems
• Safety programming experience
• Familiarity with low-level flight control systems and interfaces
• Sensor integration experience (IMUs, GPS, Lidar, Cameras) and sensor fusion
• Robotics and control systems background
• Production ML systems experience
• Hardware interfaces experience

What they offer

• Work on protecting democratic countries with direct impact on national security
• Unique engineering challenges in defense AI with unusual technical requirements
• Collaboration with world-leading experts in AI and defense technology
• Real-world deployment of autonomous systems in demanding environments