Programme Manager UK - Land

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 Programme Manager for Helsing's Land domain, you run a workstream within a complex defence programme , keeping delivery on track and stakeholders aligned. You own working-level relationships with customers and partners and actively support commercial outreach by identifying opportunities as they emerge . Drawing on a broad internal network, you coordinate across Helsing's engineering, commercial and operational functions, pulling the right capabilities into your workstream at the right moment. You maintain robust programme tracking, translate technical progress into clear reporting, and escalate risks before they affect delivery.

The day-to-day

• Drive end-to-end technical programme delivery using structured project management methods, owning master schedules, Gantt charts, critical path analyses, and milestone tracking.

• Navigate MoD gated review processes (DE&S reviews, CADMID cycle, ASG), ensuring all technical, qualification, and contractual entry/exit criteria are rigorously fulfilled.

• Plan and lead live customer trials, range tests, and field demonstrations, coordinating operational logistics, safety protocols, and cross-functional engineering support on-site.

• Oversee Safety Case management and qualification testing workflows, ensuring compliance with standards such as Def Stan 00-035 and MIL-STD-810.

• Manage Tier 1 and Tier 2 hardware subcontractors, fabrication partners, and component suppliers, ensuring on-time delivery while maintaining strict compliance with ITAR and UK Export Control Regulations.

• Maintain programme risk and opportunity registers, surfacing technical and supply chain bottlenecks early to execute swift, structured mitigation actions.

• Provide clear, data-driven technical progress reporting and dashboards to senior leadership and technical customer counterparts.

You should apply if you

• Have proven experience delivering into UK defence programmes, with a strong track record in hardware delivery (or hybrid hardware/software systems) on formal Programmes of Record, ideally across multiple complete delivery cycles.

• Possess deep, practical knowledge of the UK MoD Acquisition Lifecycle, including the CADMID cycle, Acquisition System Guidance (ASG), and DE&S gated reviews.

• Have practical experience leading live trials, field demonstrations, or range tests in rigorous operational defence environments.

• Demonstrate solid exposure to Defence Safety Case management and environmental qualification standards (e.g., Def Stan 00-035, MIL-STD-810).

• Have managed complex supply chains, including Tier 1/2 manufacturing partners and hardware subcontractors, with working knowledge of ITAR and UK Export Control Regulations.

• Apply structured project management methodologies to build and manage detailed schedules, Gantt charts, and risk frameworks in high-accountability engineering environments

• Hold an active UK Security Clearance (SC), or are fully eligible and willing to undergo the UK national security vetting process

• Communicate with full fluency in English (written and spoken) and are willing to travel regularly across trials, test ranges, and supplier sites

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.

Nice to Have

• Have some familiarity with defence procurement structures or government contract environments, gained through supporting bids, proposals or contract delivery

• Practical experience applying Agile or hybrid project management methodologies to physical hardware or integrated systems delivery.

• Exposure to Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning technologies, edge computing, or embedded software integration.

• PMP, APM (PMQ), PRINCE2, or equivalent formal project management accreditation

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

• Competitive salary and VSOP options

• Relocation support : up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation

• Learning : €500/£450 yearly allowance

• Health & wellness : gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health)

• Social : regularly company events and monthly social allowances

• Enhanced parental leave : 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers.

• Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work

These are the core benefits across all locations, there may be additional benefits in certain locations.

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 .