At the same time, the role will help translate production realities into governance artifacts, risk assessments, status updates, and training/enablement support — giving the Head a force multiplier who can operate at both the technical and “softer” layers of AI operations and governance.
This role will also serve as a hands-on technical responder for workplace AI incidents and production issues. The Staff Engineer is expected to investigate failures, troubleshoot across platforms, integrations, prompts, configurations, and access paths, implement mitigations or fixes where appropriate, and help restore service quickly while documenting root cause, lessons learned, and prevention steps.
Key responsibilities:
Own day-to-day configuration of AI platforms and orchestration tools (models, routes, guardrails, tenants, policies, role mappings, prompt libraries, etc.), under the direction of the Head.
· Manage connectors, integrations, and data access paths
Design, configure, and maintain connectors and extensions into SaaS systems, data sources, and workflow tools; ensure connectivity is reliable, secure, and aligned with access policies.
· Own observability wiring for AI tools
Set up and maintain logging, metrics, and alerts for AI workflows and tools; make sure key signals (latency, errors, usage, drift indicators) are captured and visible to the team.
· Handle secrets and access hygiene
Implement secure storage and rotation for API keys, tokens, and credentials; maintain access control configurations and partner with Security/IT on reviews and remediation.
· Execute model and configuration changes in production
Implement model swaps, policy updates, prompt changes, version upgrades, and rollout plans based on decisions made by the Head; maintain detailed change records and rollback paths.
· Support technical evaluations and benchmarking
Run experiments and benchmarks on models, tools, and configurations; collect and summarize technical performance data to inform governance and roadmap decisions.
· Translate technical signals into governance and risk views
Help the Head interpret logs, metrics, and incidents into clear risk, reliability, and compliance narratives that can be shared with Security, Legal, HR, and business sponsors.
· Contribute to playbooks and training
Co-author technical sections of operational playbooks, runbooks, and training materials; occasionally participate in training or office hours to help users understand capabilities and guardrails.
· Coordinate and communicate on incidents and changes
Act as a technical point of contact in incidents: triage, investigate, propose mitigations, execute fixes, and document learnings; communicate clearly with non-technical stakeholders when needed.
Required qualifications:
· Strong fluency in APIs, integrations, and infrastructure-as-config concepts; able to work in code/JSON/YAML configuration environments and with automation where appropriate.
· Hands-on experience with monitoring and observability tools (logs, metrics, alerts) and using them to diagnose issues and guide improvements.
· Practical experience working with at least one class of AI or automation platforms (LLM providers, AI productivity tools, RPA/workflow engines, or similar).
· Comfort with secure secrets management and access control practices (roles, permissions, key rotation, least-privilege patterns).
· Ability to document technical work and decisions clearly for both technical and non-technical audiences.
· Strong ownership mindset, bias to action, and comfort operating close to production in a high-stakes environment.
Preferred qualifications:
· Familiarity with prompt engineering, policies/guardrails, and configuration patterns for LLM-based systems.
· Exposure to governance, compliance, or risk frameworks for data-driven or AI systems.
· Experience collaborating with Security, Legal, and business stakeholders on technical risk and mitigation.
· Prior involvement in incident response, change management, or on-call rotations for critical systems.
Skills Required
- 4–7+ years in platform engineering, DevOps/SRE, ML/AI operations, or technical SaaS operations with hands-on production responsibility
- Strong fluency in APIs, integrations, infrastructure-as-code concepts, and code/JSON/YAML configuration
- Hands-on experience with monitoring and observability tools, including logs, metrics, and alerts
- Practical experience with an AI or automation platform, such as LLM providers, AI productivity tools, or RPA/workflow engines
- Experience with secrets management and access control, including permissions, key rotation, and least-privilege practices
- Ability to document technical work and decisions for technical and non-technical audiences
- Strong ownership, bias to action, and comfort operating close to production in a high-stakes environment
- Experience in ML/AI operations, including model deployment, evaluation, or drift monitoring
- Familiarity with prompt engineering, policies, guardrails, and LLM configuration patterns
- Exposure to governance, compliance, or risk frameworks for data-driven or AI systems
- Experience collaborating with Security, Legal, and business stakeholders on technical risk and mitigation
- Prior incident response, change management, or on-call experience for critical systems
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 Teams
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
