Chief Engineer, Autonomy (r5150)

Shield AI Shield AI · Defense · Washington, DC +1 · Chief Engineers

Lead the technical execution of autonomy capabilities for collaborative combat aircraft, defining how autonomous aircraft operate alongside crewed fighters in contested environments. This role focuses on delivering mission-ready autonomy systems at scale, with end-to-end responsibility for technical vision, architecture, execution, flight test, operational integration, and customer success.

What you'd actually do

  1. lead the technical execution of autonomy capabilities supporting one of the most important military aviation initiatives of our generation
  2. define how autonomous aircraft operate alongside crewed fighters in contested environments, enabling a new era of air superiority through trusted, scalable autonomy
  3. carries end-to-end responsibility for technical vision, architecture, execution, flight test, operational integration, and customer success
  4. work across engineering, product, flight operations, programs, and government stakeholders to transition autonomy from development to operational capability at scale

Skills

Required

  • autonomy
  • artificial intelligence
  • machine learning
  • software engineering
  • systems engineering
  • flight test
  • operational integration
  • government stakeholders

Nice to have

  • military aviation
  • air superiority
  • collaborative combat aircraft

What the JD emphasized

  • mission-ready autonomy systems that perform in real-world operational environments

Other signals

  • leading technical execution of autonomy capabilities
  • define how autonomous aircraft operate alongside crewed fighters
  • transition autonomy from development to operational capability at scale