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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Perform operational analysis and M&S of autonomous aircraft across component, system, mission, and campaign levels. Build and run simulations (AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, Python), conduct force-on-force and sensitivity analyses, inform design trade-offs, engage DoD stakeholders, refine CONOPS, and produce technical reports and briefings to support product and customer decisions.
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 Staff Operational Analyst to contribute to the modeling, simulation, and analysis of Shield AI’s aircraft systems. In this role, you will perform analysis at the component, system, mission and campaign levels to evaluate the effectiveness, survivability, and operational impact of our aircraft across multiple domains, missions and applications. You will collaborate closely with engineering, product, and defense stakeholders to assess system performance, inform design trade-offs, and improve mission outcomes.
This position requires a strong working knowledge of military operations, modeling & simulation (M&S), data science, and operational analysis techniques. Your analyses will directly support product decisions and customer engagements by helping demonstrate how Shield AI’s AI-powered platforms perform in realistic and contested operational environments.
What you'll do:
- Execute operational analyses to assess the effectiveness of autonomous systems in representative military scenarios.
- Develop and run modeling, simulation, and wargaming analyses to evaluate system performance, mission impact, and survivability in contested environments.
- Collaborate with engineering teams and product managers to translate operational findings into actionable system insights.
- Perform trade studies and sensitivity analyses to assess system performance across varying operational conditions, assumptions, and threat environments.
- Build, modify, and analyze mission-level models using tools such as AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, Python, or similar M&S frameworks.
- Analyze force-on-force engagements, sensor performance, and autonomy-enabled behaviors to support mission effectiveness assessments.
- Engage with DoD stakeholders, operators, and analysts to understand mission needs and operational constraints.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of concepts of operations (CONOPS) for AI-enabled aircraft capabilities.
- Monitor emerging threats and operational challenges relevant to autonomous and air combat systems.
- Prepare technical documentation, analysis reports, and briefings for internal teams, customers, and government stakeholders.
- Apply modern compute and development best practices (e.g., version control, scripting, scalable compute workflows, and reproducible analysis) to build and maintain reliable analysis pipelines.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering or math domain.
- 7+ years of experience in operational analysis, modeling & simulation, operations research, or related defense or aerospace roles.
- Active Secret at minimum, preferred active Top-Secret clearance (or ability to obtain one).
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Prior experience in force-on-force analysis, CONOPS development, or military campaign modeling.
- Expertise in applicable design reference mission development such as OCA or SEAD.
- Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes, tools (Brawler, ESAMS, etc.), Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), and military operational testing
- DoD Program experience as analysis task lead
- Prior experience in systems engineering product development lifecycle (SysML or MBSE preferred)
- Expertise providing program critical analysis for system design and integration/test.
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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
- Bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, or math domain.
- 7+ years experience in operational analysis, modeling & simulation, operations research, or related defense/aerospace roles.
- Active Secret security clearance at minimum.
- Strong working knowledge of military operations, modeling & simulation (M&S), data science, and operational analysis techniques.
- Ability to obtain S//SAR level security clearance (desired).
- Preferred active Top-Secret clearance or ability to obtain one.
- Prior experience in force-on-force analysis, CONOPS development, or military campaign modeling.
- Expertise in design reference mission development (e.g., OCA, SEAD).
- Familiarity with DoD acquisition processes, Brawler, ESAMS, JCIDS, and military operational testing.
- DoD program experience as analysis task lead.
- Prior experience in systems engineering product development lifecycle (SysML or MBSE preferred).
- Expertise providing program-critical analysis for system design and integration/test.
- Experience building/modifying mission-level models using tools such as AFSIM, STK, MATLAB, or Python.
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
