Hands-on role at defence tech company STARK supporting IT hardware systems for drone Ground Control Stations: integrating ruggedized computers, routers, radios, power, and cabling into mobile, vehicle, and boat-based setups, configuring Linux-based systems and IP networks, and testing in workshop and field environments. Requires Linux/networking skills and security clearance eligibility.
Compensation
Not disclosed
Location
Germany
Work setup
Not specified
Seniority
Middle
Employment
Not specified
Experience
3+ years
Category
Devops
Posted
Skills
agile
ai
authentication
firewall
gdpr
linux
network-security
networking
tls
vlan
Must have
~3 years professional experience in IT systems integration, hardware integration, systems engineering, field engineering, technical operations, or related hands-on role
Practical understanding of computers, operating systems, network devices, routers, interfaces, peripheral hardware, and system configuration
Experience with Linux-based systems and basic networking (IP addressing, routing, switching, VLANs, device configuration, troubleshooting)
Proven hands-on experience integrating hardware components into complete system setups, ideally ruggedized IT equipment, mobile systems, or vehicles
Strong hands-on mentality: solving problems directly on hardware, in workshops, and in field-testing environments
Experience with power management, wiring, cabling, connectors, cable routing, and charging setups
Comfortable working in workshops, vehicles, test sites, and outdoor environments
High adaptability to a dynamic, experimental engineering environment
Solid English skills
Ability to work collaboratively in a small cross-functional team
Ability to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance
Nice to have
German skills for technical communication, supplier interaction, and documentation
Experience with Ground Control Stations, unmanned systems, drones, robotics, defence systems, or mission-critical platforms
Experience integrating IT hardware into vehicles, boats, mobile shelters, field cases, or handheld systems
Experience with ruggedized laptops/tablets, routers, switches, radios, antennas, power stations, controllers, displays, and peripherals
Familiarity with Bundeswehr requirements or operational deployment contexts
Experience with Linux system setup, hardening, scripting, or system image preparation
Experience with network security, device hardening, authentication concepts, VPNs, firewalls, or secure configurations
Full description
At Stark, we forge the future of European and national security through cutting-edge, AI-driven technology and unmatched engineering precision. As a premier defence technology company, our mission is clear: to equip NATO Allies and their partners with next-generation autonomous defence platforms and advanced AI-driven software built to perform in the world’s most demanding environments.
We believe that true security stems from relentless innovation. By combining elite engineering talent with agile technology and an AI-native operational culture, Stark turns complex defence challenges into field-tested, multi-domain solutions.
WHY JOIN US
The software and systems you work on directly protect personnel and defend European and national sovereignty.
You will work alongside industry-leading minds on autonomous systems, advanced propulsion, and secure cyber platforms.
We foster a fast-paced, collaborative environment where bold ideas are supported by serious R&D backing.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Minerva is STARK's command and control software — the brain that connects operators to autonomous systems across multiple domains in real time. The Minerva team is a small, senior software group based in Berlin and Munich, working directly with our systems and hardware teams to build mission-critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments. We move fast, ship real software, and operate under constraints most engineers never encounter — low-bandwidth networks, air-gapped devices, high-stakes decision loops. There is no room for abstraction for its own sake. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field.
YOUR MISSION
Support the development, integration, testing, and continuous improvement of IT-based hardware systems for drone Ground Control Stations and related operational setups. You will work hands-on with ruggedized computers, tablets, networking equipment, routers, radios, power systems, peripheral devices, cabling, and Linux-based system environments to create reliable and field-ready GCS solutions. A key part of the role is the practical integration of IT hardware into different GCS variants, including mobile ground stations, vehicle-based installations, handheld versions, boat-based setups, and other mission-specific configurations. You will help ensure that all components interact reliably, are properly configured, well documented, maintainable, and ready for testing, production, and operational deployment. This role is strongly hands-on and combines IT system understanding, hardware integration, workshop readiness, and practical problem-solving in fast-moving development and test environments.
WHAT YOU WILL DO AT STARK
IT Hardware Integration: Integrate ruggedized laptops, tablets, routers, switches, radios, power components, displays, controllers, peripheral devices, and other IT hardware into complete Ground Control Station setups.
Associate Systems Administrator (All Genders) at STARK (Germany) — aijobsearch
GCS Variant Development: Support the development and optimization of different GCS variants, including mobile cases, vehicle-mounted systems, handheld solutions, boat-based setups, and other operational configurations.
System Configuration: Configure and maintain Linux-based systems, network devices, routers, connected hardware, and peripheral components to ensure stable and repeatable system behavior.
Network & Interface Integration: Support the integration of IP-based networks, device interfaces, local system connections, authentication concepts, and communication paths between GCS components.
Hardware Interaction: Ensure reliable and efficient interaction between IT systems, radios, networking equipment, power components, sensors, controllers, and operational software tools.
Cabling & Build Quality: Design, implement, and maintain clean, robust, serviceable, and field-ready cable management and physical integration concepts for mobile and ruggedized deployments.
Power & Energy Concepts: Support the integration of battery-based power systems, charging concepts, fallback power supply solutions, power distribution, and energy management for different GCS variants.
Testing & Troubleshooting: Conduct hands-on testing, debugging, and optimization of integrated hardware and IT setups in workshops, labs, vehicles, boats, and outdoor test environments.
Production & Supply Chain Support: Support production readiness by defining repeatable build setups, hardware dependencies, configuration baselines, parts requirements, and clear handover documentation.
Documentation: Document system setups, hardware configurations, network settings, dependencies, test results, build instructions, and lessons learned in a clear, structured, and maintainable way.
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE MISSION
Experience: Around 3 years of professional experience in IT systems integration, hardware integration, systems engineering, field engineering, technical operations, or a related hands-on technical role. Stronger junior or mid-level candidates can also be considered if they bring the right practical profile.
IT Systems Understanding: Good practical understanding of computers, operating systems, network devices, routers, interfaces, peripheral hardware, and system configuration in technical environments.
Linux & Networking: Experience working with Linux-based systems and basic networking concepts such as IP addressing, routing, switching, VLANs, device configuration, and troubleshooting.
Hardware Integration: Proven hands-on experience integrating hardware components into complete system setups, ideally involving ruggedized IT equipment, mobile systems, vehicles, field equipment, or operational hardware.
Hands-On Mentality: Strong practical mindset with the ability to solve problems directly on hardware, in workshops, during integration activities, or in field-testing environments.
Power & Cabling: Experience with power management concepts, wiring, cabling, connectors, cable routing, charging setups, and robust physical system integration.
Field Readiness: Comfortable working in workshops, vehicles, test sites, outdoor environments, and other practical integration contexts.
Adaptability: High level of adaptability and willingness to work in a dynamic, experimental, and continuously evolving engineering environment.
Communication: Solid English skills are required. German skills for technical communication, supplier interaction, and documentation are a plus.
Team Fit: Ability to work collaboratively in a small, cross-functional team and communicate clearly and reliably with engineering, production, supply chain, and testing teams.
Clearance: Ability to obtain appropriate security clearance required for the position.
NICE TO HAVE
Experience with Ground Control Stations, unmanned systems, drones, robotics, defence systems, or other mission-critical technical platforms.
Experience integrating IT hardware into vehicles, boats, mobile shelters, field cases, handheld systems, or other ruggedized environments.
Experience with ruggedized laptops or tablets, routers, switches, radios, antennas, power stations, controllers, displays, and peripheral equipment.
Familiarity with Bundeswehr requirements or operational deployment contexts.
Experience with Linux system setup, hardening, scripting, or system image preparation.
Experience with network security, device hardening, authentication concepts, VPNs, firewalls, or secure system configurations.
If you're interested in building the future of European Defence with us, and you see yourself reflected on the description above, please send us your CV in English. We're looking forward to meeting you!
SECURITY CLEARANCE
Due to the nature of our work in the defence sector, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance required for this position. Details will be provided during the recruitment process.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
DATA PRIVACY STATEMENT
This data privacy statement, which refers exclusively to data collected as part of the online application process, is to inform you about how your personal data that is collected as part of the online application process is handled at our end.
The controller
The controller under data protection law is:
SKD SE
Französische Strasse 12, 10117 Berlin
Commercial register entry number: HRB 260878
Registration Court: Amtsgericht Charlottenburg
Data Protection officer: heyData GmbH, Schützenstraße 5, 10117 Berlin,, datenschutz@heydata.eu
Personal data collected as part of the application process
Personal data means any information concerning the personal or material circumstances of an identified or identifiable individual. This includes information such as, for example, your name, address, telephone number and date of birth, but also data relating to your specific career etc. by reference to which a specific individual can be identified with reasonable effort. However, information which cannot be (in)directly associated with your real-life identity is not personal data.
Fundamentals and purposes of processing personal data collected from application documents and during the application process
If you apply to us electronically, i.e. via e-mail or using our online form, we will collect and process your personal data for the purpose of executing the application process and preparing contracts.
By submitting an application via our recruitment website, you express your interest in taking up work with us. In this context, you transmit personal data, which we will use and store exclusively for the purpose of your job search / application process.
In particular, the following data is collected during this process:
name (first and last names)
e-mail address
phone number
LinkedIn profile (optional)
channel through which you found us
Furthermore, you can choose to upload expressive documents such as a cover letter, your CV and reference letters. These may contain additional personal data such as date of birth, address etc.
Only authorized HR staff and/or staff involved in the application process have access to your data.
The personal data is stored, as a rule, exclusively for the purpose of filling the vacancy for which you have applied.
Your data will be stored for a period of 180 days after the application process has been concluded. This is usually done to fulfill legal requirements and/or defending ourselves against any claims arising from legal provisions. After this period, we are obligated to delete or anonymize your data. In case of anonymization, the data will only be available to us in the form of so-called metadata, without any direct personal reference, for statistical analysis (for example, share of male and/or female applicants, number of applications per specified period of time etc.).
Furthermore, we reserve the right to store your data for 180 days after the application process has been concluded for the purpose of adding it to our Talent Pool in order to identify any other vacancies that may be of interest to you. This includes, for example, applications for apprenticeships or internships. By accepting the data privacy statement, you consent to any further storage of your data as well as its inclusion in our Talent Pool.
Should you be offered and accept a position with us during the application process, we will store the personal data collected as part of the application process for at least the duration of your employment.
Disclosure of data to third parties
Data transmitted as part of your application will be transferred using TLS encryption and stored in a database. This database is operated by Greenhouse, which offers a human resource and applicant management software solution (https://www.greenhouse.com/data-processing-addendum). In this context, Greenhouse is our processor under article 28 of the GDPR. In this case, the processing is based on an agreement for the processing of orders between us as the controller and Greenhouse.
Rights of data subjects
If we as the controller process personal data, you as the data subject have certain rights under Chapter III of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), depending on the legal basis and the purpose of the processing, in particular the right of access (article 15 of the GDPR) and the rights to rectification (article 16 of the GDPR), erasure (article 17 of the GDPR), restriction of processing (article 18 of the GDPR), and data portability (article 20 of the GDPR), as well as the right to object (article 21 of the GDPR). If the personal data is processed with your consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent under article 7 III of the GDPR.
To assert your rights as a data subject in relation to the data processed during this online application process, please refer to our Data Protection Officer (see item 2).
Concluding provisions
We reserve the right to adjust this data privacy statement at any point in time to ensure that it is in line with the current legal requirements at all times, or in order to accommodate changes in the application process or other processes. In this case, the new data privacy statement applies to any later visit of this recruitment website or any later job application.
LEGAL NOTICE
1. Information according to § 5 DDG
SKD SE Französische Str. 12 10117 Berlin
Internet: E-Mail: contact@stark-defence.com
SKD SE, Berlin (registered office of the company), is a Societas Europaea (legal form for joint stock companies), registered at the district court of Berlin (Charlottenburg) under the register number: HRB 260878 B, represented by the Executive Board: Uwe Horstmann, Dr. André Schneider, Johannes Schaback, Jan-Patrick Helmsen, Martin Rost.
Chairman of the Supervisory Board is Mr. Robert Maier.
VAT ID No.: DE369778559
2. Liability
We are responsible for the content of our website in accordance with the provisions of general law. All content is created with the necessary care and to the best of our knowledge and is for information purposes only. Insofar as we refer on our Internet pages to the Internet pages of third parties by means of hyperlinks, we cannot accept any liability for guarantee that the linked content is always up to date, correct and complete, as this content is outside our responsibility and we have no influence on its future design. If, in your opinion, content violates applicable law or is inappropriate, please let us know. The legal information on this page as well as all questions and disputes in connection with the design of this website are subject to the law of the Federal Republic of Germany.
3. Data Protection
You can find our data protection information here. There you will also find the contact details of our data protection officer.
4. Copyright Information
The texts, images, photos, videos and graphics on our website are generally protected by copyright. Any unauthorized use (in particular the reproduction, editing or distribution) of this copyright-protected content is therefore prohibited. If you intend to use this content or parts thereof, please contact us in advance using the details above. If we are not ourselves the owner of the required copyright usage rights, we will endeavor to arrange contact with the entitled party.