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 Tax Manager, you will own Helsing's tax function at a critical point in the company's international growth. Reporting directly to the Global Finance Director, you will take full responsibility for tax compliance across more than ten European entities - identifying and managing risk, structuring tax positions efficiently, and ensuring that all obligations are met with rigour and precision. This is a role with genuine organisational reach: you will partner with Accounting, Controlling, Legal, HR, and senior leadership to ensure tax considerations are embedded in business decisions from the outset, and you will serve as the primary interface with external tax advisers, auditors, and tax authorities. As Helsing scales, you will also have the opportunity to build and professionalise the processes and systems that underpin the entire tax function.
The day-to-day
- Design and implement a coherent tax strategy across more than ten European entities, identifying opportunities to optimise the group's tax structure whilst maintaining full compliance
- Oversee the preparation and review of tax returns across corporate, trade, and value-added tax obligations, ensuring accurate and timely filings across all relevant jurisdictions
- Determine and calculate current and deferred taxes for monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements under both German GAAP (HGB) and IFRS
- Lead and manage external tax audits end-to-end, acting as the primary point of contact for tax authorities and responding to enquiries with accuracy and confidence
- Provide tax counsel to the executive board and internal functions - including HR, Legal, and Sales - on new business initiatives, international contracts, and cross-border transactions
- Develop and maintain transfer pricing documentation across international jurisdictions, ensuring alignment with the group's overall TP strategy
- Monitor changes in tax legislation and case law across EMEA, translating developments into actionable guidance for the business
- Drive the automation and continuous improvement of tax processes and tooling, including the ongoing development of Helsing's Tax Compliance Management System (TCMS)
You should apply if you
- Have managed tax compliance and structuring across multiple international entities, with hands-on experience covering EMEA jurisdictions and multi-entity group structures
- Have deep technical knowledge of German tax law - including corporate, trade, and value-added tax - and are proficient in tax accounting under both HGB and IFRS
- Have developed or maintained transfer pricing documentation within a multi-entity, cross-border environment
- Have experience navigating tax audits and managing relationships with tax authorities, external advisers, and auditors with clarity and credibility
- Can translate complex tax positions into clear, accessible guidance for non-specialist audiences, including senior leadership and non-finance departments
- Are business-fluent in German and fluent in English, enabling effective collaboration across Helsing's international teams and external stakeholder base
Note: We operate in an industry where women, as well as other minority groups, are systematically under-represented. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the listed qualifications; ability and impact cannot be summarised in a few bullet points.
Nice to Have
- Qualified tax adviser (e.g., German Steuerberaterexamen or international equivalent)
- Experience in a Big 4 environment, bringing breadth of technical exposure across industry sectors and jurisdictions
- Familiarity with government grant schemes and tax-efficient subsidy programmes, including R&D allowances
- Knowledge of IPO tax structuring and practical experience with Pillar Two compliance
- Proficiency in SAP and/or specialist tax software such as DATEV
- Experience implementing or optimising a Tax Compliance Management System (TCMS)
- M&A tax experience, including due diligence and post-merger integration
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
- Competitive salary and VSOP options
- Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation
- Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance
- Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health)
- Social: regularly company events and monthly social allowances
- Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers.
- Family support: 5 days of paid family emergency leave, 100% remote work option during pregnancy and phased return to work
These are the core benefits across all locations, there may be additional benefits in certain locations.
Helsing is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. Please do not submit personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, data concerning your health, or data concerning your sexual orientation.
Helsing's Candidate Privacy and Confidentiality Regime can be found here.
