Shield AI
Senior Systems Engineer (R6455)
Seattle, Washington · On-site · Senior · Full-time · Posted Oct 24, 2026
- Experience
- 5+ years; also requires work on a developmental program from clean sheet to first flight.
About the job
Designs and integrates system architecture for a next-generation unmanned aircraft system, from requirements and modeling through flight testing and deployment.
What you'll do
- Develop system architecture and define system behavior, operational modes, and fault responses; support safety analyses.
- Establish and trace system requirements, use MBSE and trade studies, and manage technical risks.
- Coordinate cross-functional integration of autonomy, avionics, propulsion, sensors, and mission systems; support flight testing and stakeholder alignment.
What they ask for
- 5+ years of systems engineering experience in aerospace, defense, or autonomous aircraft systems.
- Experience defining system behavior logic and operational modes; expertise in system architecture, avionics integration, and autonomy-driven flight systems.
- Proficiency with MBSE tools such as DOORS, SysML, or CAMEO; experience with Group 4 or Group 5 UAS, military aircraft, or autonomous airborne platforms.
- Experience in flight testing, system integration, and performance validation; knowledge of DoD acquisition processes, MIL-STDs, FAA airworthiness certification, and airborne system safety standards.
Nice to have
- Experience developing AI-driven autonomy for unmanned aircraft; expertise in ISR, EW, and advanced sensor integration.
- Familiarity with MOSA and GRA; prior work with defense primes, DoD stakeholders, or government R&D programs; active Secret clearance or ability to obtain one.
Tools
SysML, DOORS, CAMEO, MOSA, GRA, MIL-STDs
AI focus
Integrate AI-driven flight control, decision-making, and mission execution capabilities; preferred experience developing AI-driven autonomy for unmanned aircraft.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative