Location
Salary
(Yearly)
(Yearly)
(Yearly)
(Yearly)
(Hourly)
Undisclosed
$144,000 – $210,000
Category
Software Engineer
Date posted
September 16, 2026
Job type
Full-time
Experience level
Summary this job with AI
Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
As a Senior Systems Engineer on Shield AI’s next gen UAS program, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and integrating cutting-edge autonomous aircraft systems for national defense. You will lead the technical execution of system architecture, ensuring seamless integration of avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensor payloads, and mission-critical systems.
This position requires a deep understanding of aerospace systems engineering, autonomy, and complex system integration. You will work cross-functionally with teams in hardware, software, autonomy, flight operations, and manufacturing to develop a scalable, mission-ready platform capable of operating in contested environments.
Your expertise will be critical in defining system requirements and architectures through model-based systems engineering, conducting trade studies, ensuring compliance with military and aviation standards, and supporting the aircraft through flight testing and operational deployment.
What You'll Do:
- Perform System Architecture & Design: Develop and refine the system architecture for the next gen UAS, ensuring seamless integration of avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensor payloads, and mission systems.
- Define and document system-level behavior, including modes, states, transitions, and fault responses
- Support safety analyses (FHA, FMEA, FTA) by defining behavior under fault conditions
- Define and Manage System Requirements: Establish top-level requirements, decompose them into subsystems, and maintain traceability across the development lifecycle.
- Autonomy & AI Integration: Work closely with autonomy and software teams to integrate AI-driven flight control, decision-making, and mission execution capabilities.
- Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE): Utilize SysML, DOORS, or other MBSE tools to create digital system models, conduct trade studies, and optimize system performance.
- Risk Management & Trade Studies: Conduct trade studies to evaluate design alternatives, assess technical risks, and ensure the best engineering solutions for mission effectiveness.
- Stakeholder & Customer Engagement: Work closely with DoD stakeholders, industry partners, and government agencies to align system capabilities with operational requirements.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with hardware, autonomy, software, propulsion, and flight operations teams to drive seamless system integration and rapid development cycles.
Required Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience in systems engineering for aerospace, defense, or autonomous aircraft systems.
- Demonstrated experience defining system behavior logic and operational modes
- Deep expertise in system architecture, avionics integration, and autonomy-driven flight systems.
- Proficiency in MBSE, DOORS, SysML, CAMEO, or similar system modeling tools for complex systems design and analysis.
- Experience with Group 4 or Group 5 UAS, military aircraft, or autonomous airborne platforms.
- Strong background in flight testing, system integration, and performance validation.
- Knowledge of DoD acquisition processes, MIL-STDs, FAA airworthiness certification, and airborne system safety standards.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive complex projects to successful completion.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with shifting priorities.
- Worked on developmental program from clean sheet to first flight
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience developing AI-driven autonomy for unmanned aircraft.
- Expertise in ISR, EW, and advanced sensor integration for airborne platforms.
- Familiarity with modular open system architectures (MOSA) and Government Reference Architectures (GRA) for defense applications.
- Prior experience working with defense primes, DoD stakeholders, or government R&D programs.
- Active Secret or Top Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).
