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.
As a Specialist Export Control, you will hold a critical position in bridging the gap between regulatory compliance and operational execution. You will act as a high-agency professional, taking full ownership of our daily export control operations—including licensing, releases, screening, and the customs interface. Beyond day-to-day throughput, your work will directly enable our growth by driving the projects that make these operations scalable, such as system rollouts, process automation, and building licensing architectures for new programs and sites. This role requires a hands-on specialist who thrives on operational excellence, complementing our ITAR/EAR regulatory function by owning our process architecture. You will work directly with our Executive Export Control Officer (Ausfuhrverantwortlicher) and design the vital controls they rely on, while formal personal liability remains at the management level.
The day-to-day- Operations — Driving Daily Execution
End-to-End BAFA Licensing: Manage individual, global, and general licenses (AGG) for exports, transfers, and tech data, including conditions and deadlines.
Transaction Releases: Clear shipments, services, and software releases (list checks, end-use/end-user verification, catch-all assessments).
Sanctions Screening: Execute and document EU, UN, OFAC, and UK list screenings, resolving hits and false positives.
ERP Master Data: Ensure export control classifications (AL-No., ECCN) in the ERP match the reality of our products.
Customs Interface: Align with logistics and brokers on ATLAS filings, proofs of origin, and Carnets.
Advisory & Documentation: Guide internal stakeholders (Sales, Engineering, Procurement) and maintain an audit-proof record of all compliance decisions.
Projects — Scaling for Tomorrow
Program Export Concepts: Build licensing architectures for new programs, consortia, and sites right from the proposal phase.
System Rollouts & Automation: Drive the implementation and optimization of export control tools (e.g., SAP GTS, AEB, Descartes) to automate workflows.
ICP Evolution: Upgrade internal processes and control mechanisms to meet BAFA ICP requirements.
Audits & Metrics: Lead internal checks, support external/AEO audits, and establish hard KPIs (lead times, hit rates) over gut feeling.
Team Enablement: Design and roll out practical, target-group-specific compliance trainings.
Have deep operational expertise: You bring at least 5 years of hands-on experience in operational export control within an industrial, technology, or defense company—or in a comparably transaction-heavy role
Drive outcomes through project leadership: You have a proven track record of independently leading projects—such as system rollouts, process digitization, or building export frameworks—while steering stakeholders across departments
Are a BAFA & EU regulatory specialist: You confidently apply AWG/AWV, the EU Dual-Use Regulation (EU) 2021/821, national control lists (Ausfuhrliste), and EU sanctions law in your daily practice, and have extensive experience with BAFA licensing procedures including ELAN-K2
Understand systems beyond the user interface: You have practical experience with ERP or export control software (e.g., SAP, SAP GTS, AEB) coupled with a strong grasp of underlying master data and screening logic
Thrive under real time pressure: You maintain a structured, deadline-driven approach and autonomously prioritize when twenty release requests hit your desk at once
Are a clear communicator: You navigate complex topics with professional fluency in both written and spoken German and English
Can obtain security clearance: You are willing and eligible to undergo a national security clearance check (SÜG)
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- Knowledge of ITAR/EAR and US (re-)export regulations—while deep regulatory expertise sits with the dedicated ITAR counterpart, the ability to spot red flags and know when to hand over is essential
Practical knowledge of customs law, Union Customs Code (UCC) operations, and hands-on AEO experience
Relevant certifications such as ECoP, Certified Export Control Specialist (Fachkraft Exportkontrolle IHK/DIHK), or comparable qualifications
Strong affinity for data and tooling, with a preference for building reports and evaluations rather than sending a third reminder email
Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns
The work is unique. We operate in a domain that has highly unusual technical requirements and constraints, and where robustness, safety, and ethical considerations are vital. You will face unique Engineering and AI challenges that make a meaningful impact in the world
Our work frequently takes us right up to the state of the art in technical innovation, be it reinforcement learning, distributed systems, generative AI, or deployment infrastructure. The defence industry is entering the most exciting phase of the technological development curve. Advances in our field of world are not incremental: Helsing is part of, and often leading, historic leaps forward
In our domain, success is a matter of order-of-magnitude improvements and novel capabilities. This means we take bets, aim high, and focus on big opportunities. Despite being a relatively young company, Helsing has already been selected for multiple significant government contracts
We actively encourage healthy, proactive, and diverse debate internally about what we do and how we choose to do it. Teams and individual engineers are trusted (and encouraged) to practise responsible autonomy and critical thinking, and to focus on outcomes, not conformity. At Helsing you will have a say in how we (and you!) work, the opportunity to engage on what does and doesn’t work, and to take ownership of aspects of our culture that you care deeply about
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: regularly 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 certain locations.
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.
Skills Required
- At least 5 years of hands-on operational export control experience in an industrial, technology, defense, or comparable transaction-heavy environment
- Proven experience independently leading projects such as system rollouts, process digitization, or export framework development
- Expertise in AWG/AWV, EU Dual-Use Regulation EU 2021/821, national control lists, and EU sanctions law
- Extensive experience with BAFA licensing procedures, including ELAN-K2
- Practical experience with ERP or export control software and understanding of master data and screening logic
- Professional fluency in written and spoken German and English
- Willingness and eligibility to undergo a national security clearance check under SÜG
- Knowledge of ITAR/EAR and US re-export regulations
- Practical knowledge of customs law, Union Customs Code operations, and AEO practices
- Relevant export control certification such as ECoP or Certified Export Control Specialist Fachkraft Exportkontrolle IHK/DIHK
- Strong data and tooling orientation, including report and evaluation development
Helsing Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Helsing and has not been reviewed or approved by Helsing.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered top-of-market and competitive for specialized engineering and AI roles across key European hubs. Feedback suggests total compensation is a consistent strength relative to other aspects of the workplace.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity or VSOP is a core component of offers, giving employees meaningful participation in the company’s growth. Feedback suggests these equity grants are viewed as a significant upside alongside high base pay.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies include extended paid parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers, paid family emergency leave, and flexibility such as remote options during pregnancy and phased return. Feedback suggests these family‑oriented perks stand out for a high‑growth tech scale‑up.
Helsing Insights
What We Do
Helsing is a new type of security and artificial intelligence company. We believe that software – and, in particular, artificial intelligence – will be the key capability to keep liberal democracies from harm. Our ambition is to achieve global technology leadership in real-time information processing, turning unstructured sensor data into information advantage for democratic governments. Our platform aims to provide the clearest picture possible in any operating environment. We’re looking for people with their heart in the right place, who share our conviction that liberal democratic values are worth protecting, for ourselves and for future generations.
