Commercial Finance Intern/Working Student

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 an Intern in Commercial Finance, you will sit at the intersection of Finance, Procurement, and Engineering – a position that carries real analytical weight. You will work directly with cost data that shapes sourcing strategy and profitability decisions, building and refining the cost models that underpin some of Helsing's most consequential commercial choices.

This is not a passive support role. You will contribute to the development of Helsing's product cost reporting capability, conduct bottom-up "Should Cost" analyses, and help identify where cost efficiency can be unlocked across the supply chain and production processes. Your work will provide the fact-based foundation that the purchasing team relies on in supplier negotiations, and your opportunity and risk tracking will feed directly into financial planning. You will also support the documentation of Finance-related SAP processes, helping the wider team operate with greater clarity and consistency.

The day-to-day

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Track and manage product costs across the full lifecycle, maintaining transparency against targets and contributing to the ongoing improvement of the Product Cost Reporting capability

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Build, maintain, and refine bottom-up "Should Cost" models for manufacturing components, incorporating raw materials, manufacturing processes, cycle times, and overheads to isolate key cost drivers

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Identify cost optimisation opportunities and efficiency improvements through Value Engineering analysis, translating findings into actionable recommendations

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Monitor the savings pipeline and financial risk register, producing clear, timely reports on product cost opportunities and risks across engineering, supply chain, and production

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Prepare data-driven cost breakdowns and structured fact-based arguments to support the purchasing team in price negotiations with suppliers

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Support day-to-day accounting operations including travel expense processing, document filing, and data maintenance in SAP

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Assist in the creation of Business Process Documentation and training materials for Finance-related SAP processes, improving team-wide capability and consistency

You should apply if you

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Are currently enrolled in a degree programme in Finance, Economics, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, or a closely related field

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Have a working knowledge of cost accounting principles, including familiarity with concepts such as bill of materials, overhead allocation, or manufacturing cost structures

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Communicate complex financial analysis clearly, both in writing and verbally, and can present structured arguments to cross-functional stakeholders

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Are comfortable working with large data sets and have strong Excel or Google Sheets skills; experience with SAP or cost modelling tools is a plus

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Approach ambiguous problems methodically, with an eye for detail and a commitment to accuracy

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Are able to work independently on defined workstreams while collaborating closely with Finance, Procurement, and Engineering teams

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

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Prior exposure to Should Cost methodologies or value engineering frameworks

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Experience using SAP (particularly FI/CO modules) in an academic or professional context

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Familiarity with supply chain economics or procurement processes

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Experience creating process documentation or training materials for financial or ERP systems

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

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Helsing’s work is important. You’ll be directly contributing to the protection of democratic countries while balancing both ethical and geopolitical concerns

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP)

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Relocation support: up to €2,500 and 4 weeks temporary accommodation

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Learning: €500/£450 yearly allowance

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Health & wellness: gym membership and mental health support (Nilo.health)

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Social: regularly company events and monthly social allowances

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Enhanced parental leave: 22 weeks fully paid for primary caregivers & 6 weeks for secondary caregivers.

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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.