Senior Mission Systems Engineer, Unmanned Aircraft

f7d8749a-72d6-407c-bf98-292ea630c73a; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 144,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer for Mission Systems to lead end-to-end engineering of mission systems on next-gen unmanned aircraft. You will drive architectures, requirements, and integration from concept through flight test, ensuring payloads, avionics, and weapons are integrated to meet mission performance and safety objectives.

You will collaborate with management to de-risk architectures, meet maturity gates, and interface with customers and suppliers to align certified systems.

Qualifications

• BS in Aerospace/Electrical/Systems Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in mission systems integration or similar aerospace defense role.
• Experience with payloads, avionics, or weapons integration.
• Familiarity with MOSA or OMS/open mission system standards.
• Knowledge of DO-178C/DO-254 certification expectations.

Responsibilities

• Lead system architecture and requirements development for payloads, avionics, and weapons.
• Oversee integration and test campaigns from bench to flight test.
• Balance performance, cost, and schedule through trade studies.
• Ensure compliance with MIL-HDBK-516C, DO-178C, DO-254 and related standards.
• Interface with customers, partners, and suppliers to align requirements and certifications.
• Provide leadership and coherence across multi-disciplinary teams.

Skills

Aerospace engineering

Electrical engineering

Systems engineering

Leadership

Communication

Education

B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Systems Engineering

Tools

MBSE

SysML

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer for Mission Systems to lead end-to-end engineering of mission systems on next-gen unmanned aircraft. You will drive architectures, requirements, and integration from concept through flight test, ensuring payloads, avionics, and weapons are integrated to meet mission performance and safety objectives.

You will collaborate with management to de-risk architectures, meet maturity gates, and interface with customers and suppliers to align certified systems.