International Factory Deployment Engineer

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

The Industrial Engineer for International Factory Deployment leads the physical standup of Harmattan AI factories at international sites - translating the company's proven factory blueprint into operational production sites, on time and to standard. Working from the Wissous reference factory, you will own the full deployment arc: site preparation, equipment commissioning, process deployment, and production-ready handover. Assignments run three to twelve months. This is a senior, autonomous, project-delivery role requiring deep industrial engineering expertise and comfort with the complexity of international defence programmes. Reports to the Head of Production & SCM.

Responsibilities

Factory Deployment & Standup

• Lead end-to-end deployment of the Harmattan AI factory blueprint - from site assessment through to production-ready handover
• Translate standardised factory design (layout, equipment, processes, tooling, workflows) into a functioning local operation, adapting for site constraints without compromising output standards
• Manage equipment installation, commissioning, and qualification in coordination with Harmattan AI engineering and local partners
• Establish manufacturing processes, work instructions, and quality controls aligned with the reference factory standard
• Oversee integration of ERP, MES, and traceability systems at the deployment site

Offset & Industrial Partnership Execution

• Operate within military offset agreement obligations - local content requirements, technology transfer scope, and contractual deliverables
• Coordinate with local industrial partners and government stakeholders to ensure factory deployment meets offset milestones
• Build local engineering capability and transfer knowledge as required by offset and industrial participation obligations
• Document and report on offset credit activities and production readiness gates in formats required by the contracting authority

Operational Readiness & Handover

• Define and execute a structured production readiness programme - equipment qualification, process validation, operator training, and first-article runs
• Establish local maintenance routines, spare parts inventory, and operating procedures to sustain production after handover
• Conduct formal readiness reviews and sign-off against the Harmattan AI factory standard
• Capture lessons learned and feed structured improvement back into the factory blueprint for future deployments

HQ Coordination

• Act as the primary interface between the deployment site and Harmattan AI HQ - structured progress reporting, escalation, and coordination of remote engineering support
• Support commercial and programme teams during pre-contract site assessments and deployment feasibility studies

Responsibilities

Essential

• Degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, or related technical field
• Minimum seven years of industrial engineering experience in aerospace, defence, advanced electronics, or similarly regulated manufacturing
• Demonstrated factory standup experience - greenfield or brownfield - including equipment commissioning, process deployment, and production readiness
• Familiarity with military offset agreements, industrial participation obligations, or technology transfer programmes in a defence context
• Proven ability to operate autonomously on international assignments with limited local infrastructure
• Fluent English; French, Arabic, or other deployment-region languages a strong advantage

Preferred

• Experience replicating a factory from a reference template or blueprint
• Working knowledge of ERP/MES systems (Odoo or equivalent) in a deployment context
• Exposure to NATO STANAG standards, ITAR, or equivalent defence compliance frameworks
• Lean manufacturing, one-piece flow, and production ramp methodologies

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