Staff M&S Engineer - Autonomous Aircraft (C++)

Shield; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI, a defense-technology company, seeks a Staff Modeling & Simulation Engineer to advance its core simulation platform for VTOL aircraft. You will implement C++ models, integrate physics-based dynamics, and ensure the simulator reflects real flight behavior across domains.

You will lead V&V studies, collaborate with autonomy, embedded, and test teams, and mentor junior engineers. A Secret clearance or eligibility is required for this role, with opportunities for growth in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Aerospace, Robotics, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in simulation software development with C++.
• Strong understanding of rigid-body dynamics and the physics of dynamic systems.
• Proven experience developing or integrating simulation systems for robotics, aerospace, and/or other complex dynamic systems (e.g., maritime, space, defense ground systems, or gaming).
• Ability to debug complex build and runtime environments.
• Experience with simulation verification and validation.
• Strong communication skills across software, hardware, and systems disciplines.
• Must be eligible to obtain a Secret Clearance; Secret clearance eligibility requires US Citizenship.

Responsibilities

• Develop infrastructure and models in C++ for autonomous aircraft simulation.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in modern aerospace and software engineering.
• Architect deterministic, high‑performance simulation software.
• Lead verification and validation (V&V) analysis studies on models and model tooling.
• Collaborate across autonomy, embedded, GNC, and test engineering teams to mirror real aircraft behavior and mission scenarios.
• Contribute to platform‑agnostic simulation tooling to accelerate future development.
• Train and guide junior engineers in modeling and simulation best practices.

Skills

C++ programming

Simulation software

Rigid-body dynamics

Aerospace knowledge

Debugging complex builds

Communication skills

Education

BS in Computer Science or related

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

CMake

GTest

CI/CD tooling

Python (data analysis)

Job description

Shield AI, a defense-technology company, seeks a Staff Modeling & Simulation Engineer to advance its core simulation platform for VTOL aircraft. You will implement C++ models, integrate physics-based dynamics, and ensure the simulator reflects real flight behavior across domains.

You will lead V&V studies, collaborate with autonomy, embedded, and test teams, and mentor junior engineers. A Secret clearance or eligibility is required for this role, with opportunities for growth in a fast-paced