Shield AI

Senior Staff Engineer, Weapons Systems (SD/TX/DC) (R5019)

Shield AI$170K — $250K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Systems, Mechanical Engineering or a related field
  • 5+ years in military aerospace, mission systems, avionics, or weapon systems integration
  • Experience defining system behavior and functional architectures for complex aerospace systems
  • Familiarity with MIL-STD-1760, MIL-STD-1553, and hardware/software integration
  • Strong systems engineering and troubleshooting skills
  • Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Define weapon system behaviors and mission workflows for reliable weapon employment
  • Develop system architectures and interface definitions for weapon systems
  • Lead integration of weapon systems and coordinate across multiple engineering teams
  • Support validation activities through lab, ground, and flight tests
  • Perform troubleshooting and root cause analysis to enhance operational readiness.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package
  • Bonus structure
  • Equity options
  • Temporary benefits available after 60 days of employment
Full Job Description
Job Description:

We are seeking a Weapons Systems Engineer to lead the integration, validation, and operational deployment of advanced weapon capabilities on X-Bat. This role directly impacts mission readiness, combat effectiveness, aircraft survivability, and program execution by ensuring weapon systems are successfully integrated, tested, and fielded to operational users.

The engineer will work across the full lifecycle from requirements development through flight test, helping reduce integration risk, accelerate capability delivery, and improve overall mission system performance.

What you'll do:

  • Define weapon system behaviors, operational sequences, and mission workflows to ensure reliable and predictable weapon employment across all phases of operation
  • Develop system architectures, activity diagrams, interface definitions, and functional behaviors for aircraft weapon systems and mission system integration
  • Lead integration of weapon systems, stores management systems, and avionics interfaces while coordinating across software, avionics, flight sciences, mechanical design, and test teams
  • Support lab, ground, and flight test activities to validate system behavior, identify integration issues early, and improve mission system reliability
  • Perform troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective action development to reduce integration risk, improve operational readiness, and accelerate capability fielding


Required qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field
  • 5+ years of experience in military aerospace, mission systems, avionics, or weapon systems integration
  • Experience defining system behavior, operational concepts, activity diagrams, or functional architectures for complex aerospace systems
  • Familiarity with MIL-STD-1760, MIL-STD-1553, and hardware/software integration environments
  • Strong systems engineering, troubleshooting, and cross-functional communication skills
  • Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.


Preferred qualifications:

  • Experience supporting fighter aircraft, UAV, bomber, or advanced military aircraft programs
  • Experience with MBSE methodologies and tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler
  • Background in HIL/SIL integration labs, flight test, or operational weapon system validation
  • Familiarity with airworthiness, cybersecurity, and resilient mission systems
  • Active Secret or Top Secret clearance preferred


$170,000 - $250,000 a year

#LI-AD6

#LE

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. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

About Shield AI

Shield AI is a defense technology company that develops artificially intelligent systems for military applications. The company was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Shield AI's products include autonomous drones and software that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other military operations. The company's mission is to reduce the number of military casualties by providing soldiers with better intelligence and situational awareness. Shield AI has received funding from a number of investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Learn more about Shield AI
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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