Principal Systems Engineer, Safety (R3332)

Shield AI, founded in 2015, is a venture-backed defense technology company dedicated to protecting service members and civilians through intelligent systems. The company's flagship autonomy software, Hivemind, powers aircraft, drones, and other platforms, enabling complex missions in contested environments. As a Principal Systems Engineer of Safety for the Hivemind Enterprise team, you will be the key subject matter expert for certifiability support within the Hivemind SDK. This role involves partnering with customer Safety community and internal leaders across product engineering, solutions engineering, and aircraft to pioneer the future architecture and framework of certifiable autonomy.

The position requires deep knowledge of processes and development practices for certification of autonomy, including design, development, test, analysis, software maintenance/sustainment, and continuous improvement. You'll be responsible for evolving the software and system safety approach, supporting the design of run-time assurance capabilities, and working closely with customers to understand certification needs.

With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and internationally, Shield AI's products actively support U.S. and allied operations worldwide. The role offers competitive compensation ($208,013 - $312,000) plus bonus, benefits, and equity. The ideal candidate will have 12+ years of industry experience, strong technical leadership capabilities, and extensive knowledge of airworthiness certification standards.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone passionate about safety and certification in autonomous systems, wanting to create the ecosystem for how the community develops and certifies autonomy. You'll be at the forefront of pioneering safety standards in autonomous defense technology, working with cutting-edge technology that directly impacts service members' and civilians' safety.