Data Acquisition Engineer / Drone Pilot

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

As Data Acquisition Engineer/Drone Pilot, you will lead the end-to-end data collection lifecycle for our platforms.

This is a "hands-on" role that requires a unique blend of field operations and meticulous data processing. You will be responsible for ensuring that high-quality raw data is successfully captured, processed, labeled, and stored for our engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Mission Execution: Travel to various sites and execute end-to-end missions by strictly adhering to predefined DAD scenarios to ensure the systematic collection of high-quality data across diverse environments and mission profiles.

• Data Processing: Manually perform post-capture processing, including format conversion, temporal cutting, and basic filtering using client-provided scripts to optimize data volume and quality.

• Technical Quality Control: Conduct real-time assessments of image sharpness, lighting, and sensor performance to ensure "clean" data collection before processing.

• Data Pipeline Management: Oversee the transition of raw field data through processing and labeling stages into final Data Storage (Cloud/Local servers).

• Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with Automation Software Engineers, Manufacturing, and R&D to understand their data needs and deliver high-value data solutions.

Candidate Requirements

• Strong understanding of the "Exposure Triangle" (ISO, Shutter, Aperture) and how flight parameters impact Ground Sample Distance (GSD) and motion blur.

• Ability to follow complex technical documentation (like a DAD) with zero deviation.

• Experience with cloud services for data storage, compute, and orchestration.

• Wide engineering culture around flight dynamics, control systems, avionics, and/or RF systems.

• Bonus: Pilot certification, experience with military or industrial drone platforms.

• Detail-oriented with excellent documentation and organizational skills.

• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to motivate and guide teams toward success.

• Willingness to travel to remote sites.

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