Junior Methods Engineer

Harmattan Ai
Wissous
On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Best suited to junior industrial engineers with hands-on lean manufacturing experience working in a high-tempo production environment.

Best fit for

  • Early-career engineers eager to build expertise in drone manufacturing processes.
    — “This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to build real expertise fast
  • Industrial engineers comfortable bridging production and automation teams daily.
    — “bridging Production, Quality, and the Industrialisation & Automation team on a daily basis
  • Candidates who thrive in ambiguous environments where processes are being built.
    — “Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments where processes are still being built

Things to consider

  • Requires daily shopfloor presence and hands-on problem-solving with operators.
    — “Hands-on mindset; at ease on the shopfloor, not just behind a screen
  • Mandatory bilingual proficiency for cross-functional coordination in France.
    — “Good communication in French and English — able to interact clearly with operators and engineers

How to stand out

  • Document specific lean tool deployments in past roles with measurable impact.
    — “First exposure to lean tools: 5S, standardised work, time studies, or line balancing
  • Highlight any automation-related projects or process documentation experience.
    — “Identify and document manual operations that are repetitive, constrained, or automation-ready
  • Prepare examples of adapting work instructions during production changes.
    — “Write and maintain work instructions and manufacturing routes — ensuring accuracy, versioning, and floor-level usability
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Junior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • deploy lean tools on the shopfloor
  • improve production line design
  • write and maintain work instructions
  • support Odoo MES deployment
  • identify and document manual operations for automation
Typical background
engineering degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering2–3 years of experience in a Methods, Industrial Engineering, or Continuous Improvement role

Skills & requirements

Required

Industrial EngineeringContinuous ImprovementLean ToolsProcess KnowledgeDocumentationAutomationCommunicationData-driven

Preferred

Odoo Or Mes/erp FamiliarityStartup ExperienceCuriosity About Automation

Stack & domain

EngineeringManufacturingMechanical EngineeringIndustrial EngineeringContinuous ImprovementLean ToolsTime StudiesCycle AnalysisOdoo MesAutomationStructuredRigorousData-drivenCommunicationHands-onProduction

About the role

Original posting from Harmattan Ai via Ashby

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 Methods Engineer supports the deployment and continuous improvement of manufacturing processes across the Wissous production plant. You will contribute to structuring a greenfield drone production facility scaling fast — building manufacturing routes, supporting lean deployment, and bridging Production, Quality, and the Industrialisation & Automation team on a daily basis. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to build real expertise fast, in a high-tempo environment where every contribution is visible and every improvement counts. The role reports to the Head of Industrialisation & Automation.

MISSIONS

Continuous Improvement & Shopfloor Performance

  • Support the deployment of lean tools on the shopfloor: 5S rollout, standardised work, and visual management boards
  • Participate in daily performance reviews and contribute to structured problem-solving (5-Why, A3) on process non-conformances
  • Contribute to plant performance tracking: standard times, first-pass yield, scrap and rework monitoring

Production Line Design & Internal Flow

  • Support workstation layout improvements, line balancing, and tooling setup for manual assembly operations
  • Participate in factory layout reviews and kaizen actions to reduce non-value-added activities

Process Knowledge & Documentation

  • Write and maintain work instructions and manufacturing routes — ensuring accuracy, versioning, and floor-level usability
  • Conduct time studies and cycle analysis under the guidance of the senior team
  • Support Odoo MES deployment on the methods perimeter: routings, work orders, and traceability

Automation Roadmap Contribution

  • Identify and document manual operations that are repetitive, constrained, or automation-ready
  • Provide process and cycle time data to support automation prioritisation alongside the Industrialisation & Automation team
  • Participate in automation pilots and update work instructions post-deployment

REQUIREMENTS

Essential Qualifications

  • Engineering degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
  • 2–3 years of experience in a Methods, Industrial Engineering, or Continuous Improvement role — or a first significant experience in a manufacturing environment (internship, apprenticeship, or junior role included)
  • First exposure to lean tools: 5S, standardised work, time studies, or line balancing
  • Structured, rigorous, and data-driven — comfortable building simple KPIs and tracking performance
  • Good communication in French and English — able to interact clearly with operators and engineers
  • Hands-on mindset; at ease on the shopfloor, not just behind a screen

Preferred Skills

  • Exposure to a ramp-up, startup, or new product introduction context is a plus, not a prerequisite
  • Curiosity about automation and a desire to understand where manufacturing is heading
  • Familiarity with Odoo or any MES/ERP is a bonus
  • Comfortable operating in ambiguous environments where processes are still being built

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

Source: Harmattan Ai careers (Ashby)

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