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Shield AI, a venture-backed defense-tech company, is seeking a Staff Engineer, Safety to support the development, integration, and verification of system-level safety requirements for the X-BAT program—a next-generation autonomous aircraft platform. This role bridges engineering design, system safety analysis, airworthiness, and cybersecurity, requiring deep technical expertise in hazard analysis and requirements implementation.
You will work closely with the System-Safety/Airworthiness Lead, Systems Engineering, and technical Responsible Engineers to maintain the safety baseline and Hazard Tracking System for X-BAT. Key responsibilities include:
• Derive, refine, and validate safety requirements for the X-BAT platform and support systems in collaboration with the System-Safety/Airworthiness Lead.
• Apply system safety engineering methods (STPA, SSA, FTA, PHA, FMEA) to analyze subsystems, interfaces, and integrated architectures, identifying hazards and mitigation strategies.
• Guide engineering teams in allocating safety requirements and verifying mitigation effectiveness.
• Support development of the safety case and certification evidence for X-BAT.
• Partner with cybersecurity specialists to develop and validate cybersecurity-related safety requirements.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering to audit, refine, and assure the X-BAT Hazard Tracking System, ensuring accuracy, traceability, and closure of hazards.
• Create, review, and maintain airworthiness and technical safety documentation.
• Support mishap and near-miss investigations, providing technical system-level context.
• Participate in design reviews, safety working groups, and change boards to ensure safety is integrated early in the design lifecycle.
• Contribute to risk assessments and support readiness reviews for test, integration, and operational events.
• Engage directly with Customer and DoD System Safety representatives to align systems, expectations, and analysis.
This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys analytical safety work, can adjust to the speed of innovation, thrives in cross-disciplinary technical environments, and takes ownership in driving system-level safety decisions.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Bachelor's degree in engineering (systems, aerospace, electrical, mechanical, or related field).
• 5–8+ years of experience in system safety, airworthiness, or mission-critical system engineering.
• Experience generating or maintaining hazard logs (HTS/Hazard Tracking Systems).
• Working knowledge of system safety processes and hazard analysis tools.
• Familiarity with requirements management and hazard tracking systems.
• Strong analytical and technical communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Ability to possess a Secret DoD security clearance as required by customers.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Prior experience with UAS or autonomous aircraft platforms.
• Experience with MIL-STD-882, ARP-4761, STANAG safety frameworks, or similar.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity requirements for safety-critical systems.
• Experience working in fast-paced development or prototyping environments.
