People Operations Partner

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 the People Operations Partner, you’ll be at the heart of Helsing’s operations. We are looking for individuals to join us in both our Munich and Paris offices. But this isn’t just about keeping the engine running—you’ll be challenged to think outside the box, bring fresh ideas, and make a tangible impact across multiple functions. From onboarding to employee engagement, this is your chance to take ownership of key processes, optimise how we work, and help build a positive, inclusive culture.

If you’re the kind of person who thrives in a fast-paced environment, can juggle multiple priorities, and enjoys solving complex problems with creativity, this role is designed for you.

This role is a launching pad for anyone ready to be a part of shaping the future of People Operations. As the People landscape evolves, you’ll have the opportunity to streamline processes, develop initiatives that enhance the employee experience, and take ownership of key projects that drive real impact. You could be supporting to drive engagement to new levels, and ensures we’re not just following trends—but setting them.

The day-to-day

• Keep Helsing’s operations running smoothly by maintaining accurate employee records and keeping our databases up-to-date—but don't just stop there. Look for ways to refine and optimise these processes to make them more efficient and scalable as we grow.

• Be the go-to for employee enquiries—not only by providing clear, friendly, and actionable guidance, but also by identifying gaps or challenges in our People policies and procedures, and suggesting improvements that make things more effective company wide.

• Play an active role in organising and driving employee engagement initiatives that actually make a difference in the workplace—and always be thinking about how we can take these initiatives to the next level, ensuring they foster meaningful results.

• Support performance management, ensuring reviews are well-coordinated and progress is tracked, so everyone’s growing and thriving—but also continuously look for ways to improve how we manage performance, so that feedback is more meaningful, actionable, and leads to real development.

• Ensure strict compliance with employment laws and internal policies, keeping us fully aligned with the latest regulations, and proactively address any legal requirements before they become issues.

• Dive into key People projects related to employee lifecycle, process optimisation, benefits, culture, leadership, and more—always asking how we can make these processes better, faster, and more impactful as we grow and evolve.

You should apply if you

• Are fluent in written and spoken English, as well as French for the Paris-based role, or German for the Munich-based role.

• Communicate with ease and enjoy interacting with people at all levels of the organisation, whether it’s delivering clear guidance or engaging in meaningful conversations.

• Have a genuine curiosity about People Operations, including onboarding, employee relations, and everything in between, with a strong desire to keep learning and growing.

• Are detail-focused, highly organised, and can balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment without breaking a sweat.

• Don’t wait for problems to come to you—you tackle challenges head-on with a proactive mindset and are always ready to step up and take on something new.

Note: The above bullet points describe the ideal candidate. None of us matched all of these at once when we first joined Helsing. We encourage you to apply even if you believe you meet only part of our wish list.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with hiBob HRIS software

• Speak other languages such as Spanish. 

Join Helsing and work with world-leading experts in their fields 

• 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. 

What we offer

• A focus on outcomes, not time-tracking

• Competitive compensation and stock options

• Relocation support

• Social and education allowances

• Regular company events and all-hands to bring together employees as one team across Europe