Systems Engineer; R5982

Position: Staff Systems Engineer (R5982)
United States / Seattle, Washington / San Diego, California / Washington, D.C. / Dallas, TexasX-BAT Division – X-BAT Engineering - System Engineering & Integrated Test /Full Time Employee /On-site Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies.

With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit . Follow Shield AI on Linked In, X, Instagram, and You Tube.

Job Description:

As a 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.

What You'll Do:

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.

Required Qualifications:

Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree

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…