Senior Programme Manager - 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 Senior Programme Manager for Helsing's Land domain, you are the primary point of contact for customers and partners across a complex, high-stakes defence programme. You own senior stakeholder relationships and take a considered approach to commercial engagement within a defined value proposition. Drawing on a thorough understanding of Helsing's capabilities, you align the right people and resources at the right time, keeping technical and commercial workstreams coordinated and on track. You translate programme performance into clear reporting for leadership, surface risks before they affect delivery, and drive durable improvements across teams.
The day-to-day
Serve as the primary point of contact for senior customer and partner stakeholders, managing relationships across programme delivery and ensuring Helsing's commitments are met at every milestone
Maintain and update programme roadmaps and steering dashboards, tracking KPIs across engineering milestones and contractual obligations to give leadership timely and accurate performance data
Manage commercial engagement within your programme, identifying opportunities, supporting proposals and keeping delivery progress aligned to agreed value propositions
Orchestrate Helsing's capabilities across engineering, commercial and operational workstreams, aligning contributors to the right challenges entirely independently over timelines spanning a month to a quarter
Monitor programme risks with a forward-looking approach, preparing structured course-correction recommendations for leadership before delivery timelines are affected
You should apply if you
Have managed day-to-day delivery operations for a full programme in a defence, aerospace, automotive or engineering environment, with direct experience working within or alongside defence customers or procurement structures prior to joining the defence sector
Have built and owned senior stakeholder relationships and can navigate complex, multi-party environments with clarity and commercial awareness
Have developed programme steering mechanisms, dashboards and risk frameworks, and can translate programme performance into clear, decision-ready reporting for senior leadership
Hold a PMP certification or equivalent, or are actively working towards one, and apply structured project management methodologies in high-accountability environments
Communicate with full fluency in English and German (C1), written and spoken, are willing to travel regularly across sites, and can meet all requirements for national security clearance under applicable law
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 familiarity with defence procurement structures or government contract environments, gained through supporting bids, proposals or contract delivery
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: regular 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 specific sites.
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 .