Job Description
We are seeking a Senior Engineer, Operational Analyst to drive the modeling, simulation, and analysis of Shield AI’s autonomous aircraft systems. This role is pivotal in evaluating the mission effectiveness, survivability, and operational impact of our autonomy solutions across multiple platforms and domains. You will work closely with engineering, product development, and defense stakeholders to inform design trade-offs, assess system performance, and optimize mission capabilities.
This position requires a deep understanding of military operations, wargaming, modeling & simulation (M&S), analytic techniques, and operational analysis techniques. Your work will directly shape Shield AI’s strategy by identifying how our AI-powered platforms can best serve the evolving needs of modern warfare.
What You'll Do
- Develop and execute operational analysis strategies to assess the effectiveness of autonomous aircraft in real-world military scenarios.
- Lead modeling, simulation, and wargaming efforts to evaluate system performance, mission impact, and survivability in contested environments.
- Work closely with engineering teams and product managers to translate operational insights into design decisions and system improvements.
- Conduct trade studies and sensitivity analyses to assess system performance under varying operational conditions and threats.
- Utilize advanced modeling & simulation tools (e.g., AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, Python) to develop high-fidelity mission models.
- Analyze force-on-force engagements, sensor effectiveness, and autonomy-driven decision-making to optimize mission success.
- Collaborate with DoD stakeholders, operators, and warfighters to understand mission needs and align system capabilities with operational requirements.
- Support concept of operations (CONOPS) development for new AI-driven aircraft capabilities.
- Identify emerging threats and operational challenges, ensuring Shield AI’s systems remain ahead of adversary capabilities.
- Develop and present technical reports, briefings, and recommendations to senior leadership, customers, and government agencies.
- Leverage modern compute and development best practices (e.g., scalable cloud/HPC workflows, containerization, version control, CI/CD, and automated testing) to build, run, and iterate high-fidelity simulation and analysis pipelines quickly and reliably.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in operational analysis, modeling & simulation (M&S), or military operations research.
- Expertise in military mission analysis, operational planning, and wargaming methodologies.
- Proficiency with AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, or other M&S tools used for aerospace and defense applications.
- Deep understanding of air combat, ISR, electronic warfare, or autonomous systems in contested environments.
- Experience working with DoD stakeholders, warfighters, and government agencies to align capabilities with mission requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to seamlessly apply modern compute, data science, and software development best practices (e.g., cloud/HPC workflows, containerization, Git-based version control, CI/CD, automated testing, and reproducible analysis) to build and maintain reliable simulations and analytics.
- Excellent communication and briefing skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership, customers, and military personnel.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with shifting priorities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience in force-on-force analysis, CONOPS development, or military campaign modeling.
- Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes, Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), and military operational testing.
- Experience integrating AI-driven decision-making algorithms into operational analysis frameworks.
- Prior military service or experience working with U.S. Air Force, Navy, or Special Operations Forces.
- Experience using GenAI to structure problems and create simulation or analysis tools.
- Active Secret or Top-Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in operational analysis, modeling and simulation, or military operations research
- Expertise in military mission analysis, operational planning, and wargaming methodologies
- Proficiency with AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, or other aerospace and defense modeling and simulation tools
- Deep understanding of air combat, ISR, electronic warfare, or autonomous systems in contested environments
- Experience working with DoD stakeholders, warfighters, and government agencies
- Experience applying modern compute, data science, and software development practices to simulations and analytics
- Excellent communication and briefing skills, including presentations to senior leadership, customers, and military personnel
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with shifting priorities
- Experience in force-on-force analysis, CONOPS development, or military campaign modeling
- Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes, JCIDS, and military operational testing
- Experience integrating AI-driven decision-making algorithms into operational analysis frameworks
- Prior military service or experience with the U.S. Air Force, Navy, or Special Operations Forces
- Experience using GenAI to structure problems and create simulation or analysis tools
- Active Secret or Top Secret clearance, or ability to obtain one
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as excellent, with dental/vision and mental‑health support, and ancillary protections like life and disability appearing in benefit summaries. The breadth and perceived affordability of coverage are highlighted as a standout component of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is featured alongside enhanced maternity benefits, fertility and childcare support, and onsite resources such as a Mother’s Room. These elements are positioned as competitive and above the minimal baseline for the company’s stage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full‑time hires, with RSUs, double‑trigger tax timing, and tools to model scenarios (e.g., through Carta Tax). Communications also reference a transition from options to RSUs, reinforcing access and maturity of ownership programs.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
