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Shield AI is seeking a Staff Mission Systems Engineer to lead system architecture and requirements development for advanced autonomous aircraft platforms. In this role, you will serve as the technical subject matter expert for mission systems engineering across the aircraft program, driving trade studies and system-of-systems analysis to balance performance, cost, and schedule constraints.
Key responsibilities include overseeing integration and test campaigns from bench-level hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) through flight test operations, ensuring compliance with critical aerospace standards (MIL-HDBK-516C, DO-178C, DO-254), and collaborating with program management to de-risk architectures and meet technical maturity gates. You will interface with customers, partners, and suppliers to align system requirements and certifications, and lead multidisciplinary teams in delivering complex systems to fielded capability.
Shield AI develops Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies that actively support defense operations worldwide. The company is venture-backed with facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
- Minimum 7 years of relevant Aerospace/Defense experience, with at least 5 years in mission systems integration
- Demonstrated experience with aircraft payloads, avionics, and/or weapons integration
- Demonstrated experience with line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight aircraft communications systems and components
- Working knowledge of Government modular open system approach (MOSA) standards including open mission systems (OMS), Government Reference Architectures (GRA), or modular avionics standards
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and deliver complex systems to fielded capability
- Strong knowledge of systems engineering processes and product development lifecycle
- Familiarity with DO-178C/DO-254 certification requirements for software and hardware
- Excellent communication skills and ability to brief technical findings to executives and customers
- Active Secret clearance with ability to obtain Top-Secret clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Master's or PhD in Aerospace, Systems, or Electrical Engineering
- Hands-on experience with flight test operations and mission system validation
- Direct experience integrating advanced sensors, autonomy, AI-enabled payloads, or guided weapons
- Background in model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and SysML tools
- Strong knowledge of current aircraft mission systems vendors and capabilities
- Active DoD Secret clearance
