Shield AI is seeking a highly skilled Senior Network Engineer to help advance and secure our mission-critical global infrastructure. You will design, deploy, and maintain resilient network systems that power Shield AI’s enterprise and development environments—spanning data centers, on-premises sites, and public cloud networks.
You’ll partner with cross-functional teams to innovate, automate, and optimize network performance, availability, and security for operations supporting both classified and unclassified workloads. Limited travel to Shield AI sites may be required.
What you'll do:
Network Engineering
* Experience with public cloud networking in Azure and AWS, including secure connectivity models (e.g., ExpressRoute, Transit Gateway, Cloud WAN / vWAN).
* Design, architect, and implement routing, switching, WLAN, and firewall infrastructure across data centers and remote offices.
* Deploy and manage WAN and VPN connectivity, ensuring secure and reliable access for enterprise and mission environments.
* Develop and apply network automation to streamline provisioning, monitoring, and configuration management.
* Cloud, Platform, Security, and Infrastructure engineering teams to develop standardized network architectures supporting self-service platforms and engineering automation.
* Recommend and implement scalable, automated approaches to operational tasks and vulnerability remediation.
* Contribute to Agile delivery cycles and engineering principles while managing assigned network projects and deliverables.
* Conduct network capacity planning and provide recommendations for growth and optimization.
Operations and Support
* Plan and execute network and firewall changes in accordance with change-management and security governance processes.
* Continuously monitor, analyze, and improve network performance, resiliency, and security posture.
* Provide advanced troubleshooting for network-related hardware, software, and application issues.
* Configure and maintain secure connectivity services (e.g., VPN/ZTNA, HTTPS, SFTP).
* Create and maintain clear operational and configuration documentation; mentor operational teams on processes and procedures.
* Engage vendors and strategic partners for escalated troubleshooting, lifecycle planning, and technology evaluations.
* Participate in on-call rotation and scheduled maintenance activities.
Maintenance
* Lead or assist with network upgrades and patching within defined maintenance windows.
* Maintain network device software and license compliance.
* Ensure security vulnerabilities are identified and remediated in coordination with IT security teams.
Required Qualifications:
* Expertise in network routing, switching, and security architectures.
* Proficiency in at least one Network Operating System (e.g., NX-OS, JunOS, Arista EOS).
* Proficiency in at least one Network Security OS (e.g., PAN-OS, FortiOS).
* Experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code practices (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, Python).
* Strong understanding of firewall management, segmentation, and VPN technologies.
* Excellent analytical, organizational, and troubleshooting skills.
* Effective written and verbal communication across technical and non-technical audiences.
* Proven ability to work independently and deliver in a structured, process-driven environment.
* Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or 6+ years of relevant experience with a professional certification (e.g., CCNP, JNCIS, VCP-NV, or equivalent).
* Experience building and managing scalable hybrid infrastructure connectivity solutions linking on-premises systems with cloud networks.
Preferred Qualifications:
* Familiarity with WLAN technologies and wireless authentication (e.g., 802.1x, RADIUS).
* Experience with NAC solutions and network access policy enforcement.
* Experience with ZTNA / SASE solutions (Prisma, Zscaler, or Cato)
* Working knowledge of virtualization or operating system administration (VMware, Windows, or Linux).
* Demonstrated project management and leadership skills.
* Team-oriented, collaborative mindset with the ability to coach peers and present to non-technical stakeholders.
* Solution-driven, adaptable approach in a fast-paced, change-controlled environment.
Skills Required
- 6+ years supporting and administering complex network systems in production environments
- Expertise in network routing, switching, and security architectures
- Proficiency in at least one network operating system, such as NX-OS, JunOS, or Arista EOS
- Proficiency in at least one network security operating system, such as PAN-OS or FortiOS
- Experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code practices using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, or Python
- Strong understanding of firewall management, segmentation, and VPN technologies
- Excellent analytical, organizational, and troubleshooting skills
- Effective written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical audiences
- Ability to work independently in a structured, process-driven environment
- Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline, or 6+ years of relevant experience with a professional certification such as CCNP, JNCIS, or VCP-NV
- Experience building and managing scalable hybrid infrastructure connectivity between on-premises systems and cloud networks
- Familiarity with Juniper and Palo Alto network solutions and centralized management platforms such as Panorama
- Familiarity with WLAN technologies and wireless authentication, including 802.1X and RADIUS
- Experience with NAC solutions and network access policy enforcement
- Experience with ZTNA or SASE solutions such as Prisma, Zscaler, or Cato
- Working knowledge of VMware, Windows, or Linux administration
- Demonstrated project management and leadership skills
- Ability to coach peers and present to non-technical stakeholders
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.
