Senior Staff Engineer, GCS / Communications Systems (R5020)

The Rundown AI, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

The Rundown AI, Inc. is seeking a GCS / Communications Systems Engineer in San Diego, California. This role involves leading the development and integration of communication architectures for advanced military aircraft and autonomous systems, ensuring mission effectiveness and operational resiliency.

Requirements include a Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of relevant experience in communications systems or military aerospace integration. The position offers a full-time regular employment package including salary, bonus, and benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in communications systems, networking, or military aerospace integration.
• Experience with GCS architectures, networking, or airborne communication systems.
• Strong understanding of RF systems and encryption technologies.

Responsibilities

• Define GCS and communication system behaviors and operational workflows.
• Develop and integrate communication architectures including RF links and SATCOM.
• Lead integration between avionics, mission systems, and test teams.

Skills

Systems engineering

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional communication

Military aerospace integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

MBSE tools

Job description

Job Description:

We are seeking a GCS / Communications Systems Engineer to lead the development, integration, and validation of ground control station and communication architectures supporting advanced military aircraft and autonomous systems. This role directly impacts mission effectiveness, command and control reliability, platform connectivity, and operational resiliency by ensuring robust communication between air, ground, and distributed mission systems.

The engineer will define system behaviors, operational workflows, and communication architectures across the full lifecycle, from concept development through flight and operational test. This role plays a critical part in reducing integration risk, improving network resiliency, and accelerating deployment of mission-critical communication capabilities.

What you’ll do:

• Define GCS and communication system behaviors, operational workflows, and activity diagrams to ensure reliable command, control, telemetry, payload, and mission data exchange
• Develop and integrate communication architectures including RF links, SATCOM, LOS/BLOS datalinks, networking infrastructure, antennas, encryption devices, and mission control interfaces
• Lead cross-functional integration between avionics, mission systems, networking, cybersecurity, software, and test teams to improve system interoperability and reduce integration risk
• Develop and validate interface definitions, network architectures, link budgets, and communication performance requirements for airborne and ground-based systems
• Support lab, field, and flight test activities to troubleshoot communication issues, validate network performance, and improve operational resiliency and mission readiness

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field
• 5+ years of experience in communications systems, networking, mission systems, or military aerospace integration
• Experience with GCS architectures, datalinks, RF systems, networking, or airborne communication systems
• Familiarity with LOS/BLOS communications, SATCOM, IP networking, encryption technologies, and hardware/software integration environments
• Strong systems engineering, troubleshooting, and cross-functional communication skills

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience supporting UAV, fighter aircraft, autonomous systems, or military communication networks
• Experience defining operational behaviors, activity diagrams, CONOPS, or system architectures using MBSE tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler
• Background in integration labs, flight test, network resiliency, or tactical communication systems
• Familiarity with cybersecurity, RMF, resilient communications, and contested environment operations
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance preferred

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed toequal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.