Director, Mission Systems

Shield; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in Arlington, VA, seeks a Director of Mission Systems to lead a multidisciplinary team spanning communications and integrated mission systems for next‑generation autonomous aircraft.

You will establish the organization’s technical and business strategy, align investments with program goals, and oversee execution from concept development through flight test, fielding, and sustainment, while engaging DoD customers and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, mathematics, or related technical field.
• 10+ years in aerospace/defense or autonomous systems programs.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering organizations with senior leaders.
• Clearance: U.S. citizenship with ability to obtain Top Secret.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary organization spanning communications and mission systems.
• Define technical strategy, roadmaps, and investment priorities aligned with program goals.
• Oversee system architectures including sensors, avionics, payloads, autonomy, and survivability.
• Direct modeling, simulation, wargaming, and analyses of mission effectiveness and design alternatives.
• Lead cross‑functional trade studies balancing capability, risk, cost, and schedule.
• Ensure disciplined execution from requirements through flight test and fielding.
• Partner with engineering, product, program management, and DoD leaders to deliver capabilities.
• Engage DoD customers and government stakeholders to shape requirements and demonstrate value.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Staff development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/science/mathematics

Master’s or PhD preferred

Job description

Job Description

Are you a mission-driven engineering leader passionate about developing advanced autonomous aircraft? Do you want to help deliver capabilities that provide decisive advantage in contested environments? Shield AI may be the place for you.

Shield AI is seeking a Director of Mission Systems to lead multidisciplinary teams spanning communications, and integrated mission systems for our next‑generation autonomous aircraft. This leader will establish the organization’s technical and business strategy, align investments and priorities with product and program objectives, and oversee execution from early concept development through integration, flight test, and fielding.

The ideal candidate has led a multidisciplinary organization supporting complex military aircraft or autonomous systems and brings strong business acumen alongside sound technical judgment. This individual need not be a subject‑matter expert in every discipline but must understand how operational analysis, survivability, communications, payloads, avionics, autonomy, and weapons integration combine to drive mission effectiveness.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization spanning communications, and integrated mission systems.
• Establish clear priorities, accountability, organizational objectives, and operating rhythms that enable teams to execute effectively. Define technical strategy, capability roadmaps, and investment priorities aligned with aircraft program objectives, customer requirements, and broader business goals.
• Oversee the development of integrated mission‑system architectures encompassing sensors, payloads, avionics, weapons, secure communications, autonomy, and aircraft survivability.
• Direct modeling, simulation, wargaming, and system‑of‑systems analysis to evaluate mission effectiveness, operational performance, emerging threats, and aircraft design alternatives.
• Lead cross‑functional trade studies that balance mission capability, survivability, technical risk, cost, schedule, manufacturability, and program maturity.
• Ensure disciplined execution from requirements definition and architecture development through hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing, signature validation, flight test, certification, and fielding.
• Partner with engineering, product, program management, business development, and aircraft leadership to deliver integrated and mission‑relevant capabilities.
• Engage DoD customers, operators, suppliers, and government stakeholders to shape requirements, refine concepts of operations, support key decisions, and communicate the operational value of Shield AI’s solutions.
• Recruit, coach, and develop people managers and senior technical leaders while building organizational depth and succession capability.
• Ensure compliance with applicable system‑safety, airworthiness, cybersecurity, security, and certification requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, mathematics, or another relevant technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience supporting complex military aircraft, autonomous systems, or other aerospace and defense programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing a multidisciplinary engineering organization that includes people managers and senior technical leaders.
• Broad working knowledge across multiple relevant disciplines, including mission systems, operational analysis, modeling and simulation, survivability, secure communications, avionics, sensors, payloads, or weapons integration.
• Experience establishing organizational and technical strategies while managing technical, programmatic, and organizational risk.
• Proven ability to balance mission performance and engineering requirements with cost, schedule, product maturity, and business priorities.
• Experience overseeing complex aircraft capabilities across the product lifecycle—from requirements and architecture through integration, test, certification, fielding, and sustainment.
• Executive‑level communication skills with demonstrated success influencing customers, operators, business leaders, engineering teams, and government stakeholders. U.S. citizenship with an active Secret security clearance and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance and required SAP/SAR accesses.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Leadership experience on military UAS, advanced autonomous aircraft, collaborative combat aircraft, or fifth‑generation fighter programs involving integrated mission systems and survivability.
• Demonstrated success advancing a product or major capability from customer shaping and early concept development through acquisition, integration, flight test, validation, and tactical deployment.
• Experience overseeing multi‑domain operational analysis, CONOPS development, force‑on‑force modeling, threat assessment, or survivability analysis in contested environments.
• Working knowledge of model‑based systems engineering and SysML, DoD acquisition and JCIDS processes, electronic warfare, low‑observable communications, and AI‑enabled sensors or payloads.
• Experience developing modular, open‑system mission architectures that support rapid capability insertion and third‑party payload integration.
• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility and experience supporting classified DoD or Intelligence Community programs.