Shield AI
Staff Engineer, Aircraft Trajectory Modeling (R5787)
San Diego, California · Staff · Full-time · Posted Oct 29, 2026
- Experience
- Typically 7 years with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years with a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or PhD, with the stated experience alternatives; or equivalent work experience.
About the job
Leads trajectory prediction and aircraft-response modeling for a safety-critical Run-Time Assurance product, validating models and integrating them with autopilot interfaces and aircraft testing.
What you'll do
- Develop, tune, and validate trajectory prediction and recovery-behavior models using aircraft data and test evidence.
- Build Python workflows for analysis, simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), flight-test comparison, and regression testing.
- Integrate and evaluate predictions through autopilot interfaces; support hardware integration, flight tests, and scoped C/C++ implementation.
What they ask for
- Deep experience in trajectory prediction, aircraft-response modeling, aerospace simulation, robotics, applied autonomy, or GNC-adjacent domains, including 3DOF and/or 6DOF aircraft modeling concepts.
- Expert-level Python skills for algorithm development, numerical analysis, data processing, plotting, tuning, and test automation.
- Working proficiency in C or C++ to read production code, debug, write tests, make scoped changes, and communicate algorithm intent.
- Experience interfacing guidance, trajectory, or safety-critical algorithms with autopilots and validating through simulation, HIL, flight hardware, or flight-test data.
Nice to have
- Experience tuning trajectory, flyout, or vehicle-response models using simulation, HIL, or flight-test telemetry.
- Experience porting algorithms into C or C++ production software; Monte Carlo testing, safety-critical practices, or production integration experience is also listed as preferred.
Tools
Python, C, C++, MATLAB/Simulink, CMake, Conan, Linux, CI/CD
AI focus
Applies autonomy-related trajectory prediction and aircraft-response modeling to guide safe recovery behavior in a real-time safety capability.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative