Senior Mission Systems Engineer – Aircraft Autonomy & Payloads

Shield AI; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in the United States seeks a staff engineer for mission systems to lead end-to-end engineering of mission systems on next-gen unmanned aircraft. You will shape architectures, drive integration, and ensure safety and certification standards are met.

You will collaborate with program management, customers, and suppliers to align requirements, perform system-level analyses, and guide teams toward field-ready capabilities with robust performance and compliance.

Qualifications

• BS in Aerospace, Electrical, or Systems Engineering or related field.
• Minimum 7 years in Aerospace/defense, with 5+ years in mission systems integration.
• Experience with aircraft payloads, avionics, and/or weapons integration.
• Experience with LOS and beyond-LOS communications systems.
• Knowledge of MOSA OMS, GRA or modular avionics standards.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams delivering complex systems.
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering processes and product lifecycles.
• Familiarity with DO-178C/DO-254 certification requirements.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to brief executives and customers.
• Active Secret clearance with ability to obtain Top-Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead system architecture and requirements development and integration for payloads, avionics, and weapons integration.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for mission systems engineering across the aircraft program.
• Drive trade studies and system-of-systems analysis to balance performance, cost, and schedule.
• Oversee integration and test campaigns, from bench-level hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) to flight test.
• Ensure compliance with MIL-HDBK-516C, DO-178C, DO-254 and related standards.
• Collaborate with program management to de-risk architectures and ensure technical maturity gates are met.
• Interface with customers, partners, and suppliers to align system requirements and certifications.

Skills

Aerospace experience

Systems engineering

Leadership

Clearance (Active Secret)

Education

B.S. in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Master’s or PhD in Aerospace/Systems/Electrical Engineering

Tools

SysML tools

MBSE methods

Job description

Shield AI in the United States seeks a staff engineer for mission systems to lead end-to-end engineering of mission systems on next-gen unmanned aircraft. You will shape architectures, drive integration, and ensure safety and certification standards are met.

You will collaborate with program management, customers, and suppliers to align requirements, perform system-level analyses, and guide teams toward field-ready capabilities with robust performance and compliance.