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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Lead systems engineering for Hivemind-based autonomy products: define and manage requirements, develop system architectures and trade studies, coordinate hardware/software interfaces, support integration/verification/validation and testing, and identify and mitigate technical risks across the system lifecycle.
Summary Generated by Built In
Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
We are seeking a skilled Systems Engineer to join the Hivemind Solutions Systems Engineering team. In this role, the candidate will support the design, development, integration, and validation of complex systems leveraging the Hivemind autonomy software. This role requires a strong foundation in systems thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to translate stakeholder needs into robust technical solutions.
What you'll do:
- Define, analyze, and manage system requirements, ensuring traceability and alignment with mission objectives
- Develop system architectures and perform trade studies to balance performance, cost, and risk
- Coordinate and manage interfaces across hardware, software, and external systems
- Support system integration, verification, and validation activities, including test planning and execution
- Identify technical risks and develop mitigation strategies throughout the system lifecycle
Required qualifications:
- A minimum of 5 years of systems engineering or related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 4 years and a Master’s Degree; or 2 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience
- B.S. degree in a STEM discipline (e.g. Software, Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering)
- Experience with Systems Engineering practices and principals, including writing, organizing, and verifying requirements
- Experience with MBSE and related efforts
- Experience working in cross-functional teams
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbally
- Organized and methodical
- Software engineer experience in C++ and/or Python
- Experience in reading, interpreting, and applying engineering drawings, including assembly drawings, parts lists, wiring diagrams, and schematics
- Demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others
- The ability to obtain and maintain a US Security Clearance. US Citizenship is required as only US citizens are eligible for a security clearance
Preferred qualifications:
- Expertise with MBSE, inclusive of use of Cameo API and Velocity Template Language (VTL)
- Expertise with Requirement & Design decomposition
- Experience in any/all of the following: Autonomy, Aircraft, Unmanned Vehicles
#LI-DM2
#LC
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.
Skills Required
- Minimum experience: 5 years systems engineering with Bachelor's, or 4 years with Master's, or 2 years with PhD, or equivalent work experience
- B.S. degree in a STEM discipline (Software, Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, Systems Engineering)
- Experience with Systems Engineering practices and principles, including writing, organizing, and verifying requirements
- Experience with MBSE (Model-Based Systems Engineering)
- Experience working in cross-functional teams
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Organized and methodical work approach
- Software engineering experience in C++ and/or Python
- Experience reading, interpreting, and applying engineering drawings, including assembly drawings, parts lists, wiring diagrams, and schematics
- Ability to obtain and maintain a US Security Clearance; US Citizenship required
- Demonstrated record of teamwork, trustworthiness, high standards, and professionalism
- Expertise with MBSE including use of Cameo API and Velocity Template Language (VTL)
- Expertise with requirement and design decomposition
- Experience with autonomy, aircraft, or unmanned vehicles
What the Team is Saying
Dylan
Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion
Mo
Lead Engineer, Platform Automation
Willy
Technical Director
Michael
Engineering Manager - State Estimation
Vibhav
Senior Staff Engineer
Kirby
Mechanical Engineer
Ryan
CEO
Evan
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
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The Company
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
