Senior Staff Systems Engineer (R3928)

Shield AI
San Diego, CaliforniaPosted 24 February 2026

Tech Stack

Job Description

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.  Job Description: As a Senior Staff Systems Engineer on Shield AI’s next gen UAS program, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and integrating cutting-edge autonomous aircraft systems for national defense. You will lead the technical execution of system architecture, ensuring seamless integration of avionics, autonomy, propulsion, sensor payloads, and mission-critical systems. This position requires a deep understanding of aerospace systems engineering, autonomy, and complex system integration. You will work cross-functionally with teams in hardware, software, autonomy, flight operations, and manufacturing to develop a scalable, mission-ready platform capable of operating in contested environments. Your expertise will be critical in defining system requirements and architectures through model-based systems engineering, conducting trade studies, ensuring compliance with military and aviation standards, and supporting the aircraft through flight testing and operational deployment.