Staff Engineer, Field Service (R6120)
San Diego · USD 140,000-210,000 / year · Onsite · Posted Sep 28, 2026
At a glance
- Workplace
- Onsite
- Location
- San Diego
- Salary
- USD 140,000-210,000 / year
About the role
- Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer, Field Service to support customer demonstrations, operator training, and operational adoption across the Vision Systems / Hivemind Vision portfolio.
- The role requires operational credibility, technical fluency, and a strong instinct for teaching and customer engagement to help customers understand, evaluate, and effectively employ company capabilities.
- Working closely with product management, engineering, and business development, you will apply computer vision and AI/ML technologies to support defense, government, and commercial customers.
Responsibilities
- Plan and execute customer flight plans for demonstrations that connect product capabilities to specific mission needs and operational workflows.
- Prepare and operate Vision Systems software, sensor interfaces, and associated mission equipment during demonstrations, exercises, and evaluations.
- Support equipment readiness, system configuration, connectivity checks, and field troubleshooting in coordination with engineering and flight operations personnel.
- Apply crew resource management and operational risk management principles to event preparation, execution, and debriefing.
- Develop and deliver operator training, practical exercises, and supporting materials for customers and internal teams.
- Assess operator proficiency and adapt instruction to different experience levels and operational backgrounds.
- Build trusted relationships with operators, instructors, intelligence personnel, and customer program teams.
- Translate customer observations into clear descriptions of operational needs, usability issues, and opportunities for improvement.
- Partner with product management and engineering to evaluate new capabilities and validate them against representative operational scenarios.
- Coordinate with business development and marketing to ensure demonstrations and messaging accurately represent product capabilities and operational value.
Requirements
- Significant experience in airborne ISR sensor operations, operational intelligence support, or a closely related mission-system or field applications role.
- Practical understanding of EO/IR sensor employment, particularly gimballed sensors and full-motion video, including real-time task management, crew coordination, and operation alongside other intelligence sensors.
- Understanding of ISR collection and processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED), including how sensor outputs support operational decisions.
- Working familiarity with mission-system interfaces, tactical applications, communications networks, and data links used to exchange sensor information and intelligence products.
- Familiarity with joint ISR collection and dynamic targeting.
- Understanding of crew resource management (CRM) and operational risk management (ORM).
- Demonstrated ability to instruct, mentor, or deliver effective operational and technical briefings.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to both technical and operational audiences.
- Strong interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and demonstrated empathy for end users.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally for demonstrations, training, exercises, and customer support.
Preferred qualifications
- Experience as an airborne sensor operator in manned and unmanned ISR platforms, maritime patrol, special operations, or comparable multi-sensor mission environments.
- Instructor, evaluator, or standardization experience, including development of curricula, qualification standards, or operating procedures.
- Experience supporting joint or special operations customers through military service or government-contracted ISR programs.
- Experience GRP 1, 2 and 3 UAS on platforms such as the MC-12, U-28, AC-130, P-8, or comparable contractor-operated ISR aircraft.
- Aviation safety experience or comparable responsibility for safety programs, operational risk assessment, and incident prevention.
- Experience employing EO/IR sensors alongside radar, signals intelligence, or other collection systems.
- Experience integrating sensors or mission systems on airborne platforms, or supporting operational test and evaluation.
- Familiarity with automated target detection and recognition, computer vision, or multi-sensor fusion applications.
Benefits
- Bonus
- Benefits
- Equity
- Temporary benefits package applicable after 60 days of employment for temporary employees
Skills
- Computer Vision
- AI/ML
- EO/IR Sensors
- Gimballed Sensors
- Full-motion Video
- ISR Collection And Processing, Exploitation, And Dissemination (PED)
- Communications Networks
- Data Links
- Joint ISR Collection
- Dynamic Targeting
- Crew Resource Management (CRM)
- Operational Risk Management (ORM)
Show all 14 skills
- Automated Target Detection And Recognition
- Multi-sensor Fusion
