Senior Systems Engineer – Autonomous UAS & Avionics

Shield AI; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to design, develop, and integrate autonomous aircraft systems for next‑gen UAS programs. You will lead system architecture, avionics integration, and MBSE activities across hardware, autonomy, software, and flight operations teams.

You will define requirements, perform trade studies, and ensure compliance with DoD and aviation standards, while guiding cross‑functional teams toward a mission‑ready platform for contested environments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in aerospace or autonomous aircraft systems.
• Experience defining system behavior logic and modes.
• Deep expertise in architecture, avionics, and autonomy‑driven flight.
• Proficient in MBSE tools (SysML, DOORS, CAMEO).
• Experience with DoD MIL‑STD, FAA airworthiness standards is a plus.
• Ability to lead cross‑functional teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine the system architecture for the next gen UAS.
• Define and document system‑level behavior, modes, and fault responses.
• Support safety analyses (FHA, FMEA, FTA) with fault condition scenarios.
• Manage system requirements and traceability across lifecycle.
• Integrate AI‑driven flight control and mission execution with software teams.
• Use MBSE tools to create digital system models and trade studies.

Skills

System architecture

Avionics integration

Autonomy‑driven flight systems

Cross‑functional leadership

Tools

DOORS

SysML

CAMEO

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to design, develop, and integrate autonomous aircraft systems for next‑gen UAS programs. You will lead system architecture, avionics integration, and MBSE activities across hardware, autonomy, software, and flight operations teams.

You will define requirements, perform trade studies, and ensure compliance with DoD and aviation standards, while guiding cross‑functional teams toward a mission‑ready platform for contested environments.