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.
As a Forward Deployed Software Engineer, you'll spend your time writing code. You'll work with partner technical teams and end users to understand what they actually need, then design and build the solution yourself: architecture, implementation, testing, deployment. You'll be close enough to the mission to see why the problem matters, and you'll ship fast, because what you build gets used in the field almost immediately. Once a solution proves itself, you'll work with our core platform team to fold the durable parts back into the product, so your work keeps paying off beyond the deployment you built it for.
Responsibilities
Design and build software applications that solve specific operational problems for our partners, owning them end-to-end from architecture through deployment.
Take loosely defined, real-world requirements from partner militaries and organizations and turn them into working software, often on tight timelines.
Build interfaces and connectors between our platforms and partner systems, and validate data flows end-to-end in the field.
Deploy your solutions on site, gather feedback directly from operators, and iterate quickly based on what you see working (or not) in practice.
Spot patterns and capabilities worth building into the core product, and work with our platform engineering team to get them there.
Debug issues in live operational settings, drive them to resolution, and document what you learn along the way.
Build real working relationships with client technical teams and end users so you understand their problems well enough to solve them properly.
Requirements
4+ years building and shipping production software, in Python and at least one lower-level language (C++, Rust, Go).
A track record of defining and building end-to-end systems: projects, internships, or early-career work where you took an ambiguous problem to a working, deployed solution.
Comfortable owning software end-to-end — design, build, debug, deploy — including on Linux, in operational or field conditions.
Confident and clear communicating with client technical teams and senior stakeholders, with a bias to action
Practical under constraint: ill-defined problems, tight deadlines, and a working solution over a theoretically perfect one.
Travel: frequent on site with partners, domestic and international.
Proficiency in English is mandatory.
Nice to have
Prior forward-deployed, solutions engineering, or customer-facing engineering experience.
Depth in computer vision, deep learning, mission planning, robotics, or embedded software.
Degree from a leading engineering school.
We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.
Skills Required
- 3-6 years of software engineering experience
- Hands-on experience with software integration, including interfaces and system connectors
- Experience configuring and customizing applications for specific environments
- Strong software engineering foundation with end-to-end build, configuration, debugging, and deployment experience
- Comfort working with Linux
- Systems thinking across integrated systems and external interfaces
- Understanding of network architecture, communication protocols, and enterprise data links
- Customer-facing maturity and ability to work directly with technical teams on site
- Autonomy, procedural rigor, and a strong safety mindset in mission-critical environments
- Comfort with a high rate of domestic and international travel
- Proficiency in English
- Familiarity with enterprise software standards, protocols, and interoperability standards
- Prior forward-deployed or customer-facing software engineering experience
- Experience integrating with third-party enterprise or operational environments
- French proficiency
Harmattan AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Harmattan AI and has not been reviewed or approved by Harmattan AI.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay ranges are publicly shown for multiple U.S. roles (e.g., $140k–$200k base) and appear broadly in line with late‑stage startup/defense‑tech expectations based on the postings cited.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is repeatedly referenced in several job postings as part of total compensation, which can increase upside potential at a recently funded, high‑valuation company.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Sign‑on bonuses are explicitly mentioned in a hiring post for candidates who can start quickly, indicating the use of cash incentives in at least some hiring situations.
Harmattan AI Insights
What We Do
Harmattan AI is rising as a next-generation defense prime, building the future of autonomous warfare. We leverage AI-driven autonomy, real-time intelligence, and conflict-ready production to deliver attritable systems and autonomous mission management software. Designed for the real-world needs of warfighters, our solutions enable faster deployment, sharper decision-making, and battlefield dominance.
