Senior Systems Engineer
Shield AI is a U.S. defense-technology company developing mission-autonomy software and autonomous aircraft for military and allied operations.
Funding history
Investors
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI builds Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft for operations in contested, GPS- and communications-denied environments. Its current site also presents Aechelon synthetic-reality simulation and Vision Systems detection and tracking products.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will design and refine system architecture for next-generation unmanned aircraft, integrating avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensor payloads, and mission systems. You will define system behavior and requirements, conduct trade studies and safety analyses, support flight testing, and coordinate with technical and government stakeholders.
Requirements
- 5+ years of systems engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or autonomous aircraft systems
- Experience defining system behavior logic and operational modes
- Expertise in system architecture, avionics integration, and autonomy-driven flight systems
- Proficiency with MBSE, DOORS, SysML, CAMEO, or similar modeling tools
- Experience with Group 4 or Group 5 UAS, military aircraft, or autonomous airborne platforms
- Experience with flight testing, system integration, and performance validation
- Knowledge of DoD acquisition processes, MIL-STDs, FAA airworthiness certification, and airborne system safety standards
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and complex projects
- Experience on a developmental program from clean sheet to first flight
Responsibilities
- Develop and refine system architecture for the next-generation UAS
- Define and document system-level behavior, modes, states, transitions, and fault responses
- Support FHA, FMEA, and FTA safety analyses
- Establish, decompose, and maintain traceable system requirements
- Integrate AI-driven flight control, decision-making, and mission execution capabilities
- Create digital system models and conduct trade studies using MBSE tools
- Assess technical risks and evaluate design alternatives
- Align system capabilities with operational requirements of DoD stakeholders and partners
- Partner with hardware, autonomy, software, propulsion, and flight operations teams
Benefits
- Bonus
- Equity