Shield AI
Senior Engineer, Operations Analyst (R5831)
$128K–$192K
Washington, D.C. · On-site · Senior · Full-time · Posted Sep 8, 2026
- Experience
- 5+ years in operational analysis, modeling & simulation (M&S), or military operations research.
About the job
Models and analyzes autonomous aircraft operations to assess mission effectiveness, survivability, and performance, informing system design and operational decisions.
What you'll do
- Lead operational analysis, modeling, simulation, and wargaming for autonomous aircraft in military scenarios.
- Conduct trade studies and analyze system performance, engagements, sensor effectiveness, and autonomy-driven decisions.
- Collaborate with engineering teams and defense stakeholders, and present findings and recommendations.
What they ask for
- Expertise in military mission analysis, operational planning, and wargaming methodologies.
- Proficiency with AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, or other aerospace and defense M&S tools.
- Understanding of air combat, ISR, electronic warfare, or autonomous systems in contested environments.
- Experience with DoD stakeholders, warfighters, and government agencies; ability to apply modern compute, data science, and software development practices.
Nice to have
- Experience in force-on-force analysis, CONOPS development, or military campaign modeling; familiarity with DoD acquisition, JCIDS, or operational testing.
- Experience integrating AI-driven decision-making or using GenAI to structure problems and create simulation or analysis tools; active Secret or Top-Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).
Pay
USD 128,000–192,000 per year (base salary)
Tools
AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, Python, Git
AI focus
Analyzes AI-powered autonomous aircraft and autonomy-driven decision-making; may integrate AI-driven algorithms into operational analysis and use GenAI to develop simulation or analysis tools.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative