Staff Engineer, HIL Network & Lab Automation

Shield; Washington; On-site; USD 144,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a senior network engineer to design, implement, and sustain scalable networks for HIL laboratories and integration environments. You will define Layer 2/3 configurations, develop automation tools, and integrate network software into CI/CD workflows to support multiple programs and pilots across US facilities.

Ideal candidates have strong Python scripting, extensive Ethernet/TCP/IP experience, and hands-on lab infrastructure expertise, with the ability to obtain a SECRET

Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years with a Master’s degree.
• Strong knowledge of Ethernet and TCP/IP networking, including switching, routing, subnetting, VLANs, multicast, DNS, DHCP, network address translation, QoS.
• Hands‑on experience configuring and troubleshooting managed switches, routers, firewalls, Linux hosts, and networked computing systems.
• Proficiency in Python or a comparable language for network automation, configuration generation, API integration, test development, data processing, or infrastructure tooling.
• Experience developing and executing structured network or system tests using tools such as Wireshark, tcpdump, iperf, traffic generators, device telemetry, and application logs.
• Experience supporting complex HIL, integration‑lab, distributed‑system, or test‑infrastructure environments with shared resources and multiple engineering users.
• Experience with source control, configuration management, technical documentation, network diagrams, issue tracking, and disciplined change‑control practices.
• Strong analytical, communication, and customer‑service skills, with the ability to prioritize cross‑program needs, troubleshoot under schedule pressure, and support occasional off‑hours lab activities.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, configure, and maintain scalable network architectures for HIL laboratories and shared test infrastructure.
• Define and manage Layer 2 and Layer 3 configurations, including addressing, VLANs, routing, multicast, QoS, access controls, redundancy, and time-synchronization services.
• Develop and maintain networking software, configuration-as-code, automation tools, and validation utilities for repeatable deployments.
• Integrate switches, routers, firewalls, servers, real-time compute, simulators, flight computers, sensors, radios, and other hardware into HIL networks.
• Develop and execute network test plans measuring connectivity, throughput, latency, jitter, and packet loss.
• Build network observability through packet capture, logs, dashboards, and health checks.
• Reproduce, isolate, and resolve complex network issues using Wireshark, tcpdump, and traffic generators.
• Partner with Solutions & Integration teams to reproduce issues and provide second-line network support for demonstrations.
• Maintain authoritative network baselines, IP assignments, hardware inventories, and change records.
• Integrate network configuration into CI/CD workflows with peer review, verification, deployment, and auditability.
• Evaluate equipment and technologies; support capacity planning and procurement.

Skills

Python scripting

Ethernet/TCP-IP

Linux administration

Network troubleshooting

Documentation & change control

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Ansible

Netmiko

NAPALM

Terraform

Cisco Arista Juniper

Docker Kubernetes

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a senior network engineer to design, implement, and sustain scalable networks for HIL laboratories and integration environments. You will define Layer 2/3 configurations, develop automation tools, and integrate network software into CI/CD workflows to support multiple programs and pilots across US facilities.

Ideal candidates have strong Python scripting, extensive Ethernet/TCP/IP experience, and hands-on lab infrastructure expertise, with the ability to obtain a SECRET