7 Years of Growth: From Mechanical Engineer to Senior Engineering Manager

At the end of January, Toomas Tuppits celebrated 7 years at Milrem Robotics - a journey that has taken him from hands-on mechanical engineering to leading complex product development as a Senior Engineering Manager. His story reflects both personal growth and the evolution of Milrem as a technology company.

Early inspiration and career beginnings

For Toomas, the path to engineering started early. “The first role model for me was my father, who has worked in different engineering and technical fields for as long as I can remember. Visiting factories and projects with him as a kid definitely made me want to be part of that world,” he says. Another major influence was his physics teacher, whose encouragement of creative problem-solving made a lasting impact. “Instead of criticising Toomas for not following the textbook, he encouraged out-of-the-box thinking and finding the right answer in a different way.”

Naturally drawn to technical challenges, Toomas went on to study Product Development at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Tallinn University of Technology. Years later, that early interest would bring him to Milrem.

Joining Milrem

“I knew of Milrem through the Defence League and had seen THeMIS during exercises,” he explains. “I’ve always enjoyed the early phases of product development, when everyone does everything and personal effort can make or break a project. So when colleagues from my previous company, now working at Milrem, called me, I didn’t hesitate long.”

From day one, he was thrown into demanding work with a highly active team. “In my first week, I was given a task to improve THeMIS and thrown into a great group of young engineers. I was positively surprised by how efficient and fast the work tempo was, and how smart and helpful my new colleagues were. It felt like joining an A-Team - experts in their fields, but with awesome personalities.”

By his third week, he had already become the second full-time engineer working on Type-X, what is now the MRCV project, a defining early milestone in his Milrem career.

Growing with the company

Over the years, Toomas has taken on increasingly broad and complex responsibilities. He began in a Mechanical Engineering role, where his work revolved around complete subsystems such as the cooling system - a role that required learning a great deal on the job. After four years, as Milrem grew and responsibilities became more specialised, he transitioned into Systems Engineering. “That shift widened the range of topics I dealt with on a daily basis and made work even more rewarding because I could see the big Picture, how everything comes together from idea to delivery.”

As Milrem continued to expand its products and teams, he became one of the founding members of the RCV product team. Today, as Senior Engineering Manager, he is accountable for ensuring that key products are developed in line with technical expectations and customer requirements. He currently leads the development of Havoc and Vector - Milrem’s large ground platform systems.

Today, as a Senior Engineering Manager

“An Engineering Manager delivers results through a strong team of experts while still contributing technically when needed. Much of my everyday work involves planning upcoming developments, giving input to our sales and business development teams, and making sure any blockers are removed so agreed actions can move forward,” he explains. “Because Milrem is both a systems integrator and a product developer, the work covers all aspects of product and business development - from customer discussions to production methods and even how maintenance is handled.”

Advice for future Milrem candidates

When asked what mindset helps someone succeed at Milrem, Toomas emphasises attitude and values. “First and foremost, personality and mindset matter. Everything else can be learned. A positive, can-do attitude combined with professionalism and respectful communication is key. These traits reflect Milrem’s core values: we are open-minded, we act responsibly, and we work as a team.”

As Milrem has grown into a global organisation operating in dozens of countries, understanding that everyone is part of one team has become even more important. “If you see an opportunity to help a colleague, even outside your strict domain, that ultimately helps everyone succeed. The ‘we win or fail together’ attitude has helped Milrem grow to where it is today.”

Curiosity and a willingness to challenge the status quo are also essential. “Staying curious and questioning how things are done is how you build the unicorn companies of tomorrow,” he says.

For young candidates considering Milrem, he highlights that modern technology companies offer a wide range of paths where different skills and personalities can find their place. “Some roles require deep specialisation to become a world-class expert. Others require a broad understanding of topics and strong communication skills. What matters most is finding what drives you, because people do their best work when they genuinely enjoy what they do.”

Why future defence technology matters?

Working on future defence technology brings a unique sense of meaning. “We often define ourselves by our work. For people with technical and scientific interests, few things are more fulfilling than solving complex problems, developing something that hasn’t existed before, and seeing it come to life. At Milrem, we can see our solutions become real systems that serve a meaningful purpose. Working with robotics at a system-of-systems level is one of the most complex engineering challenges today, in Estonia and globally.”

Seven years later, Toomas’s journey reflects both the depth of his own growth and the dynamic environment at Milrem. As the company continues to scale and innovate, the opportunities to grow remain as dynamic and exciting as ever.