# Senior Systems Engineer (R6455)

**Company**: Shield AI
**Location**: Seattle, Washington
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: Full Time Employee
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/871049a8-c24a-4ed5-8214-0e56c91b40d3?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_3abf1e33-ea6

## Description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

As a Senior 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.

## 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.

## Requirements

- 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.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience developing AI-driven autonomy for unmanned aircraft.

- Expertise in ISR, EW, and advanced sensor integration for airborne platforms.

- Familiarity with modular open system architectures (MOSA) and Government Reference Architectures (GRA) for defense applications.

- Prior experience working with defense primes, DoD stakeholders, or government R&D programs.

- Active Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).

## Additional Information

- Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity.

- Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment).

- Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location.

## Skills

### Required
- systems engineering
- aerospace
- defense
- autonomous aircraft systems
- MBSE
- DOORS
- SysML
- CAMEO
- UAS
- military aircraft
- autonomous airborne platforms
- flight testing
- system integration
- performance validation
- DoD acquisition processes
- MIL-STDs
- FAA airworthiness certification
- airborne system safety standards

### Nice to have
- AI-driven autonomy
- ISR
- EW
- advanced sensor integration
- modular open system architectures
- Government Reference Architectures
- defense primes
- DoD stakeholders
- government R&D programs
- Active Secret clearance

---

Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/871049a8-c24a-4ed5-8214-0e56c91b40d3?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)