Staff Engineer, Modeling & Simulation (R4869)

Open 59d

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, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. 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 . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

The Aircraft Simulation team turns frontier autonomy into mission-ready aircraft. We own the commit-to-flight pipeline—deterministic aircraft and mission simulation, HITL/SITL integration, CI/CD, and tooling for automated flight qualification testing. Our goal is simple: make AI fly—safely, reliably, and fast.

As a Staff Modeling & Simulation Engineer, you will be dedicated to Shield AI’s next-generation aircraft program, contributing to our emergent modeling & simulation tooling. You’ll design, build, and scale novel aircraft subsystem models, develop infrastructure that enables robust automated testing for our next generation XBAT product line, and conduct system performance analysis.

What you'll do:

Develop models and infrastructure for the integrated simulation pipeline in C++.

Design deterministic, high-performance simulation tools capable of faster-than-real-time execution for development, testing, and release.

Implement test scenarios and write unit, system, and regression tests.

Collaborate across autonomy, embedded, GNC, and test engineering to ensure the simulation mirrors real aircraft behavior and mission scenarios.

Contribute to platform-agnostic simulation tooling to accelerate current and future aircraft design and development efforts.

Perform verification and validation (V&V) analysis activities on modeling tools.

Conduct system performance analysis and generate reports and visualizations.

Utilize best practices in C++, simulation architecture, and performance engineering.

Required qualifications:

BS or MS in Computer Science, Aerospace, Robotics, or related field.

7+ years of experience in simulation software development, with emphasis on modern C++ (C++17 or later) and performance optimization.

Strong understanding of rigid-body dynamics, kinematics, aerodynamics, and sensor mechanics.

Proven experience developing or integrating simulation systems for robotics, aerospace, and/or autonomous systems.

Ability to debug complex build and runtime environments (CMake, package management, logging, and profiling tools).

Experience with software testing tools (GTest, etc.)

Experience with simulation V&V.

Strong collaboration and communication skills across software, hardware, and systems disciplines.

Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Preferred qualifications:

Grasp of real-time and deterministic software design, including multi-threading, synchronization, and memory management.

Experience with DevOps-integrated simulation workflows, including CI/CD and automated hardware testing environments.

Working knowledge of Python for data analysis, test automation, or simulation orchestration.

Familiarity with aircraft and flight physics modeling.

#LI-SM1

#LD

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.

###

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.

Show

What this application asks

lever

Which location are you applying for?, Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website

Are you authorized to work in the United States? choose one
Will you require sponsorship for employment now or in the future? choose one
If yes, what type of sponsorship? written answer · optional
This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to export controls, such as EAR. Are you any of the following? choose one
If you selected "A protected Individual" OR "Other" to the above question, please explain further. written answer · optional
Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces? choose one
(Optional) If you selected other or would like to expand on the above, feel free to do so below: written answer · optional
How did you hear about us? choose one
If "Industry Conference" or "Other," please provide more details: written answer · optional
Please state your full legal name:
Are you a transitioning service member? choose one
If yes, what partnership program are you working with? choose one · optional
If other, please provide further details written answer · optional
When are you available to start your fellowship? written answer · optional
When are you available for full time work? written answer · optional
What full time job(s) are you applying for? written answer
Are you local to or willing to relocate? choose one · optional
What office(s) would you be willing to relocate to? (Select all that apply) yes / no · optional
If you selected international, what location(s)? written answer · optional
Do you have, or are you able to obtain, a S/SAR clearance? choose one · optional

Job Description:

What you'll do:

Required qualifications:

Preferred qualifications:

What this application asks

Staff Engineer, Test & Evaluation (R5141)

Staff Engineer, Structural Designer (R4937)

Staff Engineer, Software Embedded Applications (R5033)

Staff Engineer, Mechanical Test (R4888)

Staff Engineer, Applications (R4828)

Staff Engineer, Mechanical (R4887)

See also