Senior UAS Systems Engineer — Autonomy & Avionics Integration

Shieldai; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to design and integrate next‑gen autonomous aircraft systems for national defense. You will lead system architecture across avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensors, and mission systems, collaborating with hardware, autonomy, software, and flight operations teams.

The role requires deep aerospace systems engineering expertise, MBSE proficiency, and experience with DoD standards. A fast-paced, agile environment with potential clearance is expected.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in systems engineering for aerospace, defense, or autonomous aircraft systems.
• Demonstrated experience defining system behavior logic and operational modes
• Deep expertise in system architecture, avionics integration, and autonomy-driven flight systems.
• Proficiency in MBSE, DOORS, SysML, CAMEO, or similar system modeling tools for complex systems design and analysis.
• Experience with Group 4 or Group 5 UAS, military aircraft, or autonomous airborne platforms.
• Strong background in flight testing, system integration, and performance validation.
• Knowledge of DoD acquisition processes, MIL‑STDs, FAA airworthiness certification, and airborne system safety standards.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive complex projects to successful completion.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with shifting priorities.
• Worked on developmental program from clean sheet to first flight
• Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
• Experience developing AI-driven autonomy for unmanned aircraft.
• Expertise in ISR, EW, and advanced sensor integration for airborne platforms.
• Familiarity with MOSA and Government Reference Architectures (GRA) for defense applications.
• Prior experience working with defense primes, DoD stakeholders, or government R&D programs.
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).

Responsibilities

• Perform System Architecture & Design: Develop and refine the system architecture for the next gen UAS, ensuring seamless integration of avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensor payloads, and mission systems.
• Define and document system‑level behavior, including modes, states, transitions, and fault responses
• Support safety analyses (FHA, FMEA, FTA) by defining behavior under fault conditions
• Define and Manage System Requirements: Establish top‑level requirements, decompose them into subsystems, and maintain traceability across the development lifecycle.
• Autonomy & AI Integration: Work closely with autonomy and software teams to integrate AI‑driven flight control, decision‑making, and mission execution capabilities.
• Model‑Based Systems Engineering (MBSE): Utilize SysML, DOORS, or other MBSE tools to create digital system models, conduct trade studies, and optimize system performance.
• Risk Management & Trade Studies: Conduct trade studies to evaluate design alternatives, assess technical risks, and ensure the best engineering solutions for mission effectiveness.
• Stakeholder & Customer Engagement: Work closely with DoD stakeholders, industry partners, and government agencies to align system capabilities with operational requirements.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with hardware, autonomy, software, propulsion, and flight operations teams to drive seamless system integration and rapid development cycles.
• 5+ years of experience in systems engineering for aerospace, defense, or autonomous aircraft systems.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Systems engineering

System architecture

Aerospace/defense domain knowledge

Security clearance desired

Tools

MBSE

DOORS

SysML

CAMEO

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to design and integrate next‑gen autonomous aircraft systems for national defense. You will lead system architecture across avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensors, and mission systems, collaborating with hardware, autonomy, software, and flight operations teams.

The role requires deep aerospace systems engineering expertise, MBSE proficiency, and experience with DoD standards. A fast-paced, agile environment with potential clearance is expected.