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 We are looking for a Lead Software Engineer to architect and scale our Manufacturing Execution System (MES). At Harmattan AI, we treat our MES as a core software product, not just any MES, but essential to our factory’s traceability, quality, and analytics.

As the first senior in-house hire for this module, you will transition from a high-impact Individual Contributor to an Engineering Manager, building a team. You will co-design the architecture with the Head of Corporate Tooling and set the technical standards that will allow us to scale our organization.

Responsibilities Architecture & Strategic Ownership

• Review and redesign the strategic architecture of the MES custom layer to support high-scale factory operations.
• Drive technical improvements across all features, including quality management, automation, and deep integrations.
• Establish and enforce technical standards for the broader MES footprint, covering accounting, purchasing, quality and others.

Product Development (ERP / MES)

• Translate the current subset of ERP open-source manufacturing into a scalable, industrial-grade MES that supports our factory ramp-up.
• Hands-on coding (modules, integrations, and code reviews).
• Develop a version 2 of the MES for production, designed to be deployed across the factory.

Leadership & Team Building

• Grow and manage the ERP/MES engineering team.
• Audit existing systems and deliver a comprehensive MES roadmap within your first 90 days.
• Mentor junior engineers and serve as the technical reference point for operational tooling.

Operational Integration

• Work closely with stakeholders in Manufacturing, Quality, and Procurement to translate vague operational needs into clean technical specifications.
• Collaborate directly with the Head of Manufacturing and Head of Quality to ensure the MES meets rigorous defense-tech standards.
• As a vertically integrated industry, we consider our factory as a product.

Candidate Requirements

• 4–7+ years of software engineering experience at a fast-paced, tech-forward company.
• Strong architectural instincts and proficiency in Python. You have a proven track record of shipping non-trivial systems to production at scale.
• Education: Degree from a top-tier engineering school in Software Engineering.
• Exposure to MES or manufacturing systems is a plus. We prioritize sharpness and core engineering excellence over specific tool experience.
• Highly ambitious, self-driven and looking for ownership.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English and French, capable of leading diverse principals – from junior members to senior executives ; proven ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.