About the job
About Us
Helsing is a pioneering defense AI company dedicated to safeguarding our democracies. Our mission is to achieve technological leadership, enabling open societies to make autonomous decisions and uphold their ethical standards.
As a democracy-focused organization, we recognize our unique responsibility in the thoughtful development and deployment of powerful technologies like AI. We take this responsibility seriously.
We are a passionate and dedicated team of engineers, AI specialists, and customer-oriented program managers. We seek mission-driven individuals to join our European teams and utilize their skills to tackle the most complex and impactful challenges. We foster an open and transparent culture that encourages healthy discussions surrounding the use of technology in defense, its advantages, and ethical considerations.
The Role
As an Optical Communications Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for designing, selecting, and integrating the optical terminal payloads for our satellite constellations. Your efforts will ensure that our satellites establish and maintain secure, high-bandwidth laser links with each other and compatible relay networks in Low Earth Orbit. Collaborating with our payload, spacecraft bus, and security teams, you will ensure that the optical terminals adhere to stringent military performance and environmental regulations, significantly contributing to our mission of providing sovereign capabilities to democratic societies.
Your Responsibilities
- System Architecture & Design: Define the overall optical communications architecture for the SAR constellation, including terminal specifications, data routing strategies, and network configurations.
- Link Budget & Performance Analysis: Conduct thorough free-space optical (FSO) link budget calculations, atmospheric modeling (if relevant for ground links), and jitter assessments.
- Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking (PAT): Lead the requirements and verification for complex PAT subsystems, collaborating closely with the Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) team to ensure the spacecraft bus can support precise optical pointing.
- Hardware Integration & SWaP Management: Oversee the integration of hardware and manage size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints.

