Staff Engineer, Operational Analytics - Autonomous Aircraft

Shield AI; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 157,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer, Operational Analyst to drive modeling, simulation, and analysis of autonomous aircraft systems. You will evaluate mission effectiveness, survivability, and operational impact across platforms and domains.

The role requires deep knowledge of military operations, wargaming, and M&S techniques, with collaboration across DoD stakeholders and engineering teams to inform design trade-offs and system improvements.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in operational analysis, modeling & simulation (M&S) or military operations research.
• Expertise in military mission analysis, operational planning, and wargaming methodologies.
• Proficiency with AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, or other M&S tools used for aerospace and defense applications.
• Deep understanding of air combat, ISR, electronic warfare, or autonomous systems in contested environments.
• Experience working with DoD stakeholders, warfighters, and government agencies to align capabilities with mission requirements.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute operational analysis strategies to assess effectiveness of autonomous aircraft in real-world military scenarios.
• Lead modeling, simulation, and wargaming efforts to evaluate system performance and survivability in contested environments.
• Translate operational insights into design decisions and system improvements with engineering teams.
• Conduct trade studies and sensitivity analyses to assess system performance under varying conditions and threats.
• Utilize advanced modeling & simulation tools to develop high-fidelity mission models.
• Analyze force-on-force engagements, sensor effectiveness, and autonomy-driven decision-making to optimize mission success.
• Collaborate with DoD stakeholders, operators, and warfighters to align system capabilities with operational requirements.

Skills

Operational analysis

Wargaming methodologies

Data science practices

Excellent briefing skills

Agile development environment

Tools

AFSIM

STK

MATLAB

Python

Git CI/CD

Containerization

Cloud/HPC workflows

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer, Operational Analyst to drive modeling, simulation, and analysis of autonomous aircraft systems. You will evaluate mission effectiveness, survivability, and operational impact across platforms and domains.

The role requires deep knowledge of military operations, wargaming, and M&S techniques, with collaboration across DoD stakeholders and engineering teams to inform design trade-offs and system improvements.