Senior Staff Engineer, Avionics Systems (R6238)

Seattle · San Diego · Washington, D.C. · Dallas · USD 170,000-310,000 / year · 7+ years experience · Onsite · Posted Oct 17, 2026

At a glance

As a Staff Systems Engineer on Shield AI's next gen UAS program, you will play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and integrating cutting-edge autonomous aircraft systems for national defense.
You will lead the technical execution of the air vehicle avionics architecture, integrating flight computers, navigation, communications, sensor payloads, and mission systems with autonomy and propulsion.

Develop and refine the avionics architecture for the next gen UAS, covering flight and mission computers, data networks, navigation, communications, sensor payloads, and their interfaces with autonomy and propulsion.
Define and document system-level behavior, including modes, states, transitions, redundancy management, and fault detection, isolation, and recovery.
Support safety analyses (FHA, FMEA, FTA) by defining behavior under fault conditions.
Establish top-level requirements, break them down into avionics subsystem requirements, and own the interface control documents (ICDs), keeping them traceable across the development lifecycle.
Define navigation architectures, including GPS/INS and alternative navigation for GPS-denied operations.
Define datalink and communications architectures that keep command, control, and mission data reliable in contested environments.
Lead integration of avionics hardware and data buses (e.g., Ethernet, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429, CAN), thermal, EMI/EMC, and environmental considerations.
Work with the autonomy and software teams to make sure the avionics architecture provides the compute, sensor data, and determinism that flight control and mission execution need.
Work with DoD stakeholders, industry partners, and avionics suppliers to align system capabilities with operational requirements.

Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree
Demonstrated experience defining system behavior logic, operational modes, and redundancy and fault management
Deep expertise in avionics architecture and integration, including flight computers, navigation systems, datalinks, and avionics data buses
Proficiency in MBSE, DOORS, SysML, Cameo, or similar system modeling tools for complex systems design and analysis
Experience with Group 4 or Group 5 UAS, military aircraft, or autonomous airborne platforms
Strong background in avionics integration, hardware/software integration labs, flight testing, and performance validation
Knowledge of DoD acquisition processes, airworthiness (MIL-HDBK-516C), and avionics standards (e.g., MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-704, MIL-STD-810, DO-178C, DO-254)
Experience on a developmental program from clean sheet to first flight
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, agile environment with shifting priorities
Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance

Experience with alternative navigation, assured PNT, or GPS-denied navigation solutions
Expertise in sensor integration for airborne platforms
Familiarity with modular open system architectures (MOSA), Government Reference Architectures (GRA), or open standards such as SOSA and FACE
Experience developing or integrating AI-driven autonomy for unmanned aircraft
Prior experience working with defense primes, DoD stakeholders, or government R&D programs
Active Secret or Top Secret clearance