Validation Engineer

ABOUT US Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces. Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected. ABOUT THE ROLE As Validation Engineer, you will play a critical role in validating the performance, reliability, and operational readiness of our autonomous defense systems. You will lead test campaigns on our own systems to inform internal development and maintain a competitive edge. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Validation strategy & test design: Define what "validated" means for a system, design the test plans and scenarios that will prove it, and decide what to measure and how to judge pass/fail. - Build the validation toolkit: Starting from the design phase of the new platform, create the procedures, tooling and test methods, software and hardware, that its validation will depend on. - Run campaigns & analyse results: Plan and lead test campaigns (in the field and using our simulation/bench tools), then analyse the data rigorously to separate real issues from noise and quantify performance. - Close the loop with engineering: Report defects, anomalies and their frequency clearly, and work with the design teams to drive fixes and product maturity. - Support the wider group: Occasionally contribute to validation trials for the rest of the teams, bringing back data and lessons learned. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - Engineering degree (or equivalent experience) in aerospace, mechatronics, electronics, robotics, or a related field. - 10+ years of experience in validation, test engineering, flight testing or a closely related discipline, ideally on aerospace or robotic systems. - A structured, systems-level approach: designing test plans, defining metrics, a statistical mindset for noisy flight data, and the ability to reason about a whole platform (airframe, avionics, GNC, RF) rather than a single subsystem. - Comfortable in the field: hands-on setup and execution of outdoor campaigns, with enough piloting interest/ability to work closely with the technician - Clear communicator, able to document rigorously and feed results back to engineering teams; able to manage a small team and work with varied backgrounds. - Working-level English; French or Arabic is a strong plus. - Valid driving licence and willingness to travel for field campaigns, with occasional trips abroad - Bonus: experience with autopilots/flight computers, telemetry and log analysis, basic Linux. We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.