Senior Staff Engineer, Weapons Systems (R5019)

Shield AI; San Diego (TX); On-site; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in San Diego, Texas seeks a Weapons Systems Engineer to lead the integration, validation, and deployment of advanced weapon capabilities on the X-Bat. The role impacts mission readiness and program execution by ensuring effective weapon systems are deployed.

Key qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in a related engineering field and over 5 years of experience in military aerospace. A strong background in systems engineering and troubleshooting is essential. Salary is between $170,000 - $250,000 a year.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in military aerospace, mission systems, avionics, or weapon systems integration.
• Experience defining system behavior, operational concepts, activity diagrams, or functional architectures for complex aerospace systems.
• Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Define weapon system behaviors, operational sequences, and mission workflows.
• Develop system architectures and interface definitions for aircraft weapon systems.
• Lead integration of weapon systems while coordinating across multiple teams.
• Support lab, ground, and flight test activities to validate system behavior.
• Perform troubleshooting and root cause analysis to reduce integration risk.

Skills

Systems engineering

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Systems Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Cameo Systems Modeler

Job description

Job Description

We are seeking a Weapons Systems Engineer to lead the integration, validation, and operational deployment of advanced weapon capabilities on X-Bat. This role directly impacts mission readiness, combat effectiveness, aircraft survivability, and program execution by ensuring weapon systems are successfully integrated, tested, and fielded to operational users. The engineer will work across the full lifecycle from requirements development through flight test, helping reduce integration risk, accelerate capability delivery, and improve overall mission system performance.

What You'll Do

• Define weapon system behaviors, operational sequences, and mission workflows to ensure reliable and predictable weapon employment across all phases of operation
• Develop system architectures, activity diagrams, interface definitions, and functional behaviors for aircraft weapon systems and mission system integration
• Lead integration of weapon systems, stores management systems, and avionics interfaces while coordinating across software, avionics, flight sciences, mechanical design, and test teams
• Support lab, ground, and flight test activities to validate system behavior, identify integration issues early, and improve mission system reliability
• Perform troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective action development to reduce integration risk, improve operational readiness, and accelerate capability fielding

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field
• 5+ years of experience in military aerospace, mission systems, avionics, or weapon systems integration
• Experience defining system behavior, operational concepts, activity diagrams, or functional architectures for complex aerospace systems
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-1760, MIL-STD-1553, and hardware/software integration environments
• Strong systems engineering, troubleshooting, and cross‑functional communication skills
• Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting fighter aircraft, UAV, bomber, or advanced military aircraft programs
• Experience with MBSE methodologies and tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler
• Background in HIL/SIL integration labs, flight test, or operational weapon system validation
• Familiarity with airworthiness, cybersecurity, and resilient mission systems
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance preferred

$170,000 - $250,000 a year

Legal and EEO

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal 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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.