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Senior Systems Engineer ESM / ELS

Helsing· AI & Engineering
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Hybrid (Munich, Germany)Full-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Senior role leading technical definition, design, and integration of an airborne Emitter Location System, focusing on the complete direction-finding chain and cross-domain integration with Radar Warning Receiver and other mission systems.

Responsibilities

  • Define the architecture and system-level requirements of an airborne Emitter Location System.
  • Translate operational emitter-detection and geolocation needs into measurable technical requirements.
  • Develop and assess antenna-array concepts for airborne direction finding.
  • Define the number, type, geometry, orientation, and placement of antenna elements on the aircraft.
  • Analyse array performance across the required frequency range.
  • Assess impact of element spacing, array aperture, phase-centre stability, mutual coupling, airframe shadowing, structural blockage, reflections and multipath, installation-induced amplitude and phase errors, and polarisation mismatch.
  • Balance direction-finding accuracy, angular ambiguity, frequency coverage, installation constraints, and platform size.
  • Develop calibration concepts for antenna, RF-channel, and installation-related errors.
  • Define requirements for coherent multichannel RF reception, channel synchronization, phase matching, amplitude matching, and timing accuracy.
  • Develop and evaluate algorithms for amplitude-comparison direction finding, phase-interferometric direction finding, correlative direction finding, monopulse techniques, beamforming, MUSIC/ESPRIT/Capon and related methods, multi-baseline/multi-frequency ambiguity resolution, wideband and frequency-agile emitter direction finding.
  • Develop robust Direction-of-Arrival estimation methods for dense and complex electromagnetic environments.
  • Define confidence metrics and uncertainty estimates for Direction-of-Arrival measurements.
  • Develop emitter geolocation methods using successive Direction-of-Arrival measurements and platform motion.
  • Integrate aircraft position, attitude, heading, timing, and navigation uncertainties into the emitter-location solution.
  • Define interfaces between the Emitter Location System, Radar Warning Receiver, ESM receiver, mission computer, navigation system, and other mission-system components.
  • Develop a coherent system concept where Radar Warning Receiver and Emitter Location System share receiver resources and data where appropriate.
  • Assess trade-offs between wideband threat warning, accurate direction finding, emitter identification, and geolocation performance.
  • Define latency, update-rate, probability-of-intercept, dynamic-range, sensitivity, and accuracy requirements.
  • Develop simulation environments and representative test scenarios for evaluating array and algorithm performance.
  • Perform Monte Carlo analyses and sensitivity studies for antenna-placement errors, RF imperfections, navigation errors, and emitter geometries.
  • Support hardware-in-the-loop testing, antenna-range testing, calibration campaigns, ground testing, and flight-test activities.
  • Define verification and validation methods for direction-finding and emitter-location performance.
  • Coordinate closely with antenna, RF, ESM, Radar Warning Receiver, navigation, software, aircraft, and mission-system engineering teams.

Qualifications

  • Degree in electrical engineering, communications engineering, physics, aerospace engineering, mathematics, or a related technical discipline.
  • Several years of professional experience in direction finding, emitter location, radar warning receivers, electronic support measures, radar signal processing, phased arrays or antenna arrays, multichannel coherent RF systems.
  • Strong understanding of antenna-array theory, array manifolds, phase differences, amplitude patterns, beamforming, grating lobes, and angular ambiguity.
  • Experience with airborne antenna placement and platform-installation effects is highly desirable.
  • Strong understanding of Direction-of-Arrival estimation algorithms and their practical limitations.
  • Experience with phase-interferometric or amplitude-comparison direction-finding systems.
  • Familiarity with high-resolution subspace methods such as MUSIC or ESPRIT is beneficial.
  • Understanding of radar and Electronic Support signal characteristics (pulse, frequency, modulation, scan, waveform parameters).
  • Experience with Radar Warning Receiver or ESM architectures (detection, pulse measurement, deinterleaving, identification, threat evaluation, tracking).
  • Understanding of trade-offs between RWR warning performance and emitter-location precision.
  • Familiarity with geolocation, state estimation, sensor fusion, and navigation-error propagation.
  • Experience defining requirements and interfaces for complex airborne mission systems.
  • Experience with electromagnetic simulation tools (CST, HFSS, FEKO, or comparable).
  • Experience with real-time embedded signal-processing systems, FPGA-based processing, or heterogeneous compute platforms is desirable.
  • Strong analytical, communication, and technical-documentation skills.
  • Ability to work across antenna, RF, signal-processing, software, navigation, and aircraft-integration disciplines.

Skills

Required:Direction findingEmitter locationRadar Warning Receiver (RWR) / ESM architectures

Benefits

  • Competitive salary
  • 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
  • Hands-on onboarding program (Infraduction) for engineering and AI teams
Last updated Sep 1, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Helsing

Helsing | Artificial intelligence to protect our democracies

AI for electronic warfareAI-enabled precision mass and autonomous systemsAutonomous air dominanceMass defence manufacturingRecce strike softwareUnderwater autonomous massliquid-ai-recruiting-target
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