Engineering · Defense · Operations
Pre-Seed stage. Munich-based.
HOW WE WORK.
[ Owner, not Operator ]
You get problems, not tickets. How you solve them is your call, what you ship is your responsibility. You run your project from hypothesis to real flight.
[ Quality as Identity ]
Quality is non-negotiable here. Code, architecture, and output have to meet a high bar. If 80 percent is good enough for you, this isn't the place.
[ Honest Disagreement ]
We actively seek out skepticism. If you spot and name problems early, you're part of the solution. Unanimous agreement makes us nervous.
WHAT WE OFFER.
Real Engineering Problems
Sim-to-real-gap reduction in adversarial conditions. Real-time control on embedded hardware. Vision-based tracking against erratically maneuvering targets. Engineering problems you won't find elsewhere.
Direct Founder Access
You talk to the people who decide. Two founders, no HR filter, no management layer. Decisions in hours, not weeks.
Equity Participation
4-year vesting, 1-year cliff. VSOP pool implemented. You're building a company, not filling a seat.
Defense-Tech with Real Stakes
The fully autonomous intercept is demonstrated and reproduced multiple times — this is a flying system, not a concept. Counter-UAS capability for Europe, defensive and built in Europe. You work on technology that will become relevant to NATO members in the coming years.
OPEN ROLES.
Salary + Equity after funding closes. Munich-based or remote-friendly (EU time zone).
The brain of the interceptor.
Our terminal guidance already flies, in simulation and in controlled real-world intercepts. That is V1. Everything after it is the hard part: sharper guidance laws, target state estimation that survives noisy sensors, and a control loop that closes fast enough to catch a jinking FPV drone. You own the path from “works in sim” to “hits in the field.”
What You'll Own
- Evolve the existing guidance law and prototype alternatives (PN variants, predictive and optimal approaches)
- Design the target state estimation stack: filtering and track handling from noisy vision measurements
- Build sensor fusion for GPS-denied flight
- Move the guidance and control loop from Python to real-time C++ on embedded compute
- Stand up SITL/HITL rigs so every algorithm change is validated before it flies
- Own the flight line: test campaigns, log analysis, iteration
What We Need
- Deep grounding in control theory, state estimation and optimization, plus the judgment to know which tool a problem actually calls for
- Guidance, navigation or autonomous flight experience: aerospace GNC, robotics, or a comparable control-systems track
- You already work with agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Codex or comparable) and can tell us where they earn their keep and where they don’t
- C++ and Python in real-time and embedded contexts
- Hands-on with PX4, ArduPilot, Betaflight, MAVLink or similar, including SITL/HITL
- You fly what you build: days at the test site, not only at the desk
Nice to Have
- Publications or thesis work in guidance, tracking, or autonomous systems
- Defense or counter-UAS background
- Vision-based tracking on embedded GPUs
The body of the interceptor.
The vehicle flies and intercepts today. It is also a hand-built prototype: one-off harnesses, printed parts, a BOM that exists because it was what we could get. Turning that into something that fits in a backpack, survives a rainy day in the mud and can be produced in thousands is the second half of the product, and you own it.
What You'll Own
- Airframe design for a vehicle that has to fly hard, hit once, and stay cheap enough to scale
- Integration of the sensor and compute stack into the airframe: mounting, harnessing, connectors, routing, strain relief
- The physical problems that break autonomy: vibration into IMU and camera, EMI between propulsion, RF and camera lanes, thermal headroom for embedded compute in a closed body
- Hardening against shock, vibration, temperature, moisture, dust, transport, storage, and handling by people who did not build it
- The BOM: component selection, second sources, cost, availability, and the provenance questions that decide whether a European customer can buy this at all
- Industrialization: design for manufacturing, jigs and build procedures, test rigs and thrust stands, and the work with CNC, PCBA and assembly partners
What We Need
- You build drones yourself. FPV quads, fixed wing, whatever. You have soldered a harness at 2am and flown it the next morning
- Mechanical design in CAD against real manufacturing constraints, from printed and CNC parts through to composites
- Electronics integration at system level: high-current power distribution, schematic and PCB literacy, bench instrumentation, clean soldering including fine pitch and connectors
- You have taken at least one physical product from prototype to repeatable build, or you can explain in detail why the last prototype you touched was not ready for it
- Judgment about cost. This is an expendable effector, not a satellite. Every gram and every euro is an argument
- You work with agentic coding tools (Claude Code, Codex or comparable) and can tell us where they earn their keep
Nice to Have
- Thermal or EMC design in compact embedded systems
- Custom carrier or PCB design (KiCad, Altium)
- Series production, contract manufacturing or defense qualification experience
- Composites, layup, or structural testing background
Where the hardware actually happens.
We build interceptors in Munich. Somebody has to assemble them, solder them, fly them, break them, and figure out what the logs say afterwards. That is this role. You work directly with the founders on real hardware, and what you touch on a Tuesday flies on a Thursday.
What You'll Do
- Build and repair prototypes: frames, motors, harnesses, soldering, mounting the sensor and compute stack
- Run flight tests: setup, batteries, safety, recording, and packing it all up again when it rains
- Pull the flight logs apart and tell us what actually happened, not what we hoped happened
- Run batch simulation campaigns and turn a few hundred runs into one clear answer
- Keep the lab in a state where the next build does not start with a search for the right connector
What We're Looking For
- You are in Munich and can be in the lab regularly. This is not remote work
- You are studying something technical, or you are studying something else and can show us what you have built anyway
- You like hardware. You have soldered before, or you are impatient to
- AI affinity is a must. You already use coding agents, or you want to learn them fast and properly
- We do not require formal programming experience. We do require that you understand what your agent just wrote, why it works, and what happens when it does not. Vibe coding is fine right up to the point where something has to fly
Nice to Have
- FPV, RC, model building, robotics competitions, any hands-on background with things that move
- Python for data and log analysis
- CAD, 3D printing, or a workshop habit of any kind
Share your expertise. Shape a defense company.
We're a startup building an autonomous weapons system. We know what we don't know — and we're looking for experienced people who can help us avoid costly mistakes, make the right architectural decisions, and open the right doors. A few hours a month from the right person can change the trajectory of the entire company.
Areas Where We Need Advisors
- Drone Warfare & Defense Operations — Field experience with UAS, counter-UAS, or military drone programs. Understanding of real-world engagement scenarios, threat evolution, and operational requirements.
- Ukraine / Front-Line Experience — Direct exposure to FPV drone warfare, counter-UAS operations, or defense-tech development in Ukraine. Knowledge of real-world threat patterns, operational constraints, and what actually works on the ground.
- Aerospace & GNC — Deep expertise in guidance, navigation, control systems, flight dynamics, or missile/interceptor design. Academic or industry background.
- Computer Vision & Edge AI — Experience deploying perception systems on embedded hardware in real-time, safety-critical, or defense applications.
- Defense Procurement & Regulation — Knowledge of Bundeswehr acquisition (BAAINBw), NATO standards (STANAG), export control (Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz), or defense startup funding.
What Advisors Get
- Equity participation — typically 0.1–0.5% with 2-year monthly vesting
- Monthly stipend (negotiable, depending on commitment)
- Direct line to both founders — no bureaucracy
- The satisfaction of shaping a company that might genuinely save lives
What We Expect
- 2–10 hours per month or more — whatever fits your schedule and the topic at hand
- Availability for a monthly call + async questions via Slack/Email
- Honest feedback — we want advisors who push back, not yes-people
- Introductions when appropriate (investors, partners, talent)
Unique skill combinations over job-title matches.
We're a pre-seed startup — we value unique skill combinations over job-title matches. If you believe you can contribute to building an autonomous interceptor drone and your background doesn't fit the roles above, tell us what you bring and why Herakles needs it.
HERAKLES is an equal opportunity employer. We make hiring decisions regardless of gender, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, and sexual identity. All advertised roles are open to all genders (m/w/d).
PROCESS.
Apply via the form below. Tell us which role and attach your CV. We aim to respond within 3–5 business days.
30 minutes with the founders. We get to know each other, talk through the role, and figure out whether it's a fit for both sides.
5–10 days, defined engineering output from our backlog, paid at market day rate. You produce, we discuss.
7 days to decide, no pressure. Concrete offer (Salary + Equity).