Staff Systems Engineer
Dallas Metro Area / San Diego Metro Area
Aircraft Division – Mechanical /
Full Time Employee /
Hybrid
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.
Job Description
Shield AI is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer with expertise in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to support the design, modeling, and integration of advanced autonomous aircraft systems for our next-generation UAS platform. In this role, you will work within a multidisciplinary team to develop and maintain system models using CAMEO and SysML, drive digital engineering practices, and ensure system-level traceability across complex airborne systems.
This is a hands-on technical role focused on enabling rapid, traceable, and scalable system development through digital tools. You will collaborate closely with systems leads, hardware, autonomy, and test teams to capture system architecture, decompose requirements, and validate system behavior through robust modeling.
What you'll do:
- MBSE Development & Maintenance: Create and maintain SysML-based models using CAMEO to represent system architecture, behavior, interfaces, and requirements across the aircraft lifecycle.
- Requirements Decomposition: Translate high-level system and mission requirements into structured models and ensure end-to-end traceability through DOORS or similar tools.
- Interface Definition: Model and manage system and subsystem interfaces to support hardware and software integration across autonomy, propulsion, avionics, and sensors.
- Digital Engineering Collaboration: Work closely with design, test, and autonomy teams to ensure consistent use of system models for verification planning and design validation.
- Trade Study Support: Contribute to trade space exploration by modeling system behaviors, alternatives, and performance sensitivities.
- System Integration Support: Assist with integration efforts by using system models to inform development, identify dependencies, and support test readiness.
- Documentation & Compliance: Generate documentation to support airworthiness, safety, and programmatic reviews using MBSE artifacts and system models.
- Continuous Improvement: Advocate for MBSE best practices, improve modeling workflows, and support adoption of CAMEO and related tools across engineering teams.
Required qualification:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- 4+ years of experience in systems engineering or MBSE roles supporting aerospace, defense, or complex hardware-software systems.
- Hands-on experience with CAMEO Systems Modeler and strong understanding of SysML.
- Working knowledge of requirements tools such as DOORS, Jama, or Polarion.
- Experience modeling complex system architectures and interfaces.
- Familiarity with system engineering processes, V-model development, and lifecycle traceability.
- Ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
- U.S. Citizenship required due to government contract requirements.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience supporting Group 4 or Group 5 UAS, or other military aviation platforms.
- Understanding of modular open systems architecture (MOSA) principles.
- Familiarity with MIL-STD-881, 882, and system safety frameworks.
- Exposure to airworthiness certification or flight test support.
- Active Secret or Top Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).
$141,305 - $211,957 a year
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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.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
