Senior Staff Engineer, Ground System Software (R5199)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture‑backed defense‑tech company focused on protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V‑BAT, and X‑BAT aircraft, and the firm operates across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia‑Pacific, actively supporting operations worldwide. Job Description 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. This individual will define, develop, integrate, and validate complex software systems while ensuring alignment with system‑level requirements, architecture, and program objectives. What you’ll do Software Architecture & Development 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 solutions using modern programming languages, frameworks, and system modeling tools. Develop, review, and maintain architecture diagrams to support government reference architectures. Engage with internal stakeholders to create architecture behavior diagrams and documents supporting customer deliverables. Communicate technical concepts effectively to engineering, program management, and customer stakeholders. Systems Engineering Integration 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. Required qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a 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 life‑cycle (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. $180,000 – $270,000 a year 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). 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. 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. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. #J-18808-Ljbffr Shield AI