SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer, Mission Architect to lead mission engineering and systems architecture work for autonomous defense systems. This role owns the mission representation across multiple programs, applying systems engineering, modeling, simulation, and operational analysis to evaluate how Shield AI's autonomous systems enable military mission effects.
You will develop mission engineering artifacts including mission threads, concepts of operations (CONOPS), and mission architectures for AI-driven autonomous capabilities. Working closely with engineering teams, product managers, and DoD stakeholders, you'll translate military operational needs into traceable autonomy requirements that inform design trade-offs, system requirements, and technology priorities.
Key responsibilities include:
- Employ mission engineering processes to assess how autonomous capabilities enable desired mission effects in representative military scenarios
- Utilize systems engineering tools (Cameo, SysML 2.0) and modeling/simulation tools (AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, Python) to develop mission models, architectures, and requirements traceability artifacts
- Develop mission threads, CONOPS, and mission architectures for new AI-driven autonomous capabilities
- Collaborate with engineering teams and product managers to translate mission needs into system requirements and capability improvements
- Define trade studies and sensitivity analyses to identify mission drivers, capability gaps, system dependencies, and performance thresholds under varying operational conditions
- Engage with DoD stakeholders, operators, and warfighters to characterize missions, define measures of effectiveness, and align system capabilities with operational needs
- Develop and present technical reports, mission architectures, and recommendations to senior leadership and government agencies
- Leverage modern compute practices (cloud/HPC workflows, containerization, version control, CI/CD, automated testing) to build and iterate mission models and analysis pipelines
Required: 5+ years in mission engineering, systems engineering, operational analysis, or M&S; prior experience with mission-thread analysis, force-on-force analysis, capability-gap analysis, or military campaign modeling; proficiency with SysML, AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, or Python for aerospace/defense; experience with DoD stakeholders and translating operational objectives into system capabilities; demonstrated ability to apply systems engineering and modern compute best practices; excellent communication and briefing skills; ability to work in fast-paced, agile environments; active Secret or Top-Secret clearance (or ability to obtain).
Preferred: MBSE and SysML 2.0 experience; familiarity with DoD Mission Engineering methodologies, systems-of-systems engineering, DoD acquisition processes, and JCIDS; experience integrating AI-driven decision-making or autonomous systems into mission engineering frameworks; prior military service or experience with U.S. military branches.
