We are seeking an experienced Software Systems Engineer with a strong background in software design and development and a working knowledge of systems engineering processes, methodologies, and tools. This individual will play a key role in defining, developing, integrating, and validating complex software systems while ensuring alignment with system-level requirements, architecture, and program objectives.
The ideal candidate combines deep technical software expertise with an understanding of systems engineering principles, including requirements management, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), verification and validation, configuration management, customer communications and cross-functional technical leadership.
What you'll do:
- Participate in the development of software architectures for complex, distributed, and mission-critical systems.
- Engage in software design activities from concept through deployment and sustainment.
- Work with software responsible engineers to develop and model high-quality, scalable, maintainable software solutions using modern programming languages, frameworks & System Modeling Tools.
- Develop, review and maintain architecture diagrams to support government reference architectures.
- Engage with internal stakeholders to develop software architecture behavior diagrams/ documents to support customer deliverables.
- Communicate technical concepts effectively to engineering, program management, and customer stakeholders.
- Collaborate with systems engineers to derive software requirements from system-level requirements and operational needs.
- Ensure software solutions maintain traceability to stakeholder, system, and subsystem requirements.
- Participate in architecture trade studies and technical decision-making activities.
- Support system decomposition, interface definition, and allocation of requirements.
- Contribute to system design reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and related technical milestones.
- Work closely with hardware, network, test, and integration teams to ensure end-to-end system performance.
Software Architecture & Development
Systems Engineering Integration
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field.
- 8+ years of software engineering experience.
- 3+ years of software architecture or technical leadership experience.
- Proficiency in a strongly typed programming language (e.g. C#, TypeScript, Java, C++) with exposure to lower-level systems or protocol integration.
- Familiarity with software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies.
- Understanding of systems engineering processes and standards.
- Experience with requirements management and traceability practices.
- Experience using version control and CI/CD tools.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, aviation, automotive, telecommunications, or other complex systems domains.
- Experience with GCS software, mission planning tools, or real-time visualization platforms.
- Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies.
- Experience with systems engineering tools such as:
- Cameo Systems Modeler / MagicDraw
- IBM DOORS Next
- Jama Connect
- Stell
- JIRA
- Confluence
- Experience with cloud-native architectures, containerization, and orchestration technologies.
- Familiarity with Autonomy Government Reference Architectures, Open Mission Systems and Universal Command & Control Interface.
Desired skills:
- Ability to operate effectively across multiple engineering disciplines.
- Strong systems thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to translate complex system requirements into practical software solutions.
- Experience balancing technical, programmatic, and operational constraints.
- Strong leadership and collaboration skills.
- Interface Control Documents (ICDs) development and management
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related technical field.
- 8+ years of software engineering experience.
- 3+ years of software architecture or technical leadership experience.
- Proficiency in a strongly typed programming language (e.g. C#, TypeScript, Java, C++) with exposure to lower-level systems or protocol integration.
- Familiarity with software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies.
- Understanding of systems engineering processes and standards.
- Experience with requirements management and traceability practices.
- Experience using version control and CI/CD tools.
- Experience in aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, aviation, automotive, telecommunications, or other complex systems domains.
- Experience with GCS software, mission planning tools, or real-time visualization platforms.
- Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies.
- Experience with systems engineering tools such as Cameo Systems Modeler / MagicDraw, IBM DOORS Next, Jama Connect, Stell, JIRA, Confluence.
- Experience with cloud-native architectures, containerization, and orchestration technologies.
- Familiarity with Autonomy Government Reference Architectures, Open Mission Systems and Universal Command & Control Interface.
- Interface Control Documents (ICDs) development and management experience.
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.
Gallery
%203.jpg)
Shield AI Teams
.jpg)
Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
