Chief Engineer

Chief Engineer

Harmattan AI

Lausanne, Switzerland

About the Role

As a Chief Engineer, you will own the architecture, system definition and implementation of one of our robotic systems — from concept to field deployment. You will work hand-in-hand with project managers and technical leads to translate mission needs into system-level designs, coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams, and ensure overall system performance, robustness, and reliability.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture: Transform system requirements into architectures solutions;
• Technical Coordination: Lead cross-functional design across mechanical, electrical, software, GNC, and ML teams;
• Trade-Off & Design Analysis: Conduct feasibility studies, trade-off analyses, and system-level simulations to guide technical choices;
• Integration & Validation: Oversee system integration, prototyping, and validation, ensuring performance targets are achieved;
• System Reviews: Drive design and architecture reviews, maintaining consistency between requirements, design, and testing;
• Continuous Improvement: Implement processes to enhance requirements traceability, system documentation, and validation workflows.

Candidate Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in system engineering within robotics, aerospace, or defense sectors;
• MSc in Engineering (any field); PhD is a plus;
• Proven experience leading full system lifecycles (concept → prototype → validation);
• Strong background in system architecture, requirements engineering, and trade-off analysis;
• Broad engineering culture with understanding of mechanical, electrical, and embedded systems;
• Experience coordinating multi-disciplinary teams and managing technical interfaces;
• Rigorous, structured, and mission-driven mindset with strong analytical skills;
• Excellent communication and documentation abilities;
• Bonus: Experience with UAS or defense systems.