Chief Engineer, Autonomy (R5150)

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the senior technical authority for Shield AI's CCA autonomy efforts, accountable for technical strategy, architecture, execution, customer engagement, and mission effectiveness. 

• Lead the development, integration, and deployment of operational autonomy capabilities from concept through flight test, operational evaluation, and fielding. 

• Define and evolve autonomy architectures spanning mission planning, perception, decision-making, collaborative behaviors, human-machine teaming, and platform integration. 

• Drive engineering rigor and technical governance across the program, ensuring sound architectural decisions, disciplined execution, and mission-focused outcomes. 

• Partner closely with program leadership to balance risk, schedule, operational requirements, and customer priorities. 

• Lead technical readiness for major demonstrations, flight tests, program milestones, operational assessments, and customer engagements. 

• Direct verification, validation, and operational integration efforts required to establish trust, performance, safety, and mission effectiveness. 

• Build and mentor a world-class technical organization consisting of chief engineers, architects, principal engineers, autonomy developers, and mission domain experts. 

• Help shape the future of autonomous air combat by influencing requirements, concepts of operation, technical roadmaps, and next-generation autonomy capabilities. 

Required Qualifications:

• 15+ years of engineering experience developing complex aerospace, defense, autonomy, weapons, or mission-critical systems. 

• Experience serving as a Chief Engineer, Technical Director, Chief Architect, Technical Fellow, Technical Program Manager, or equivalent technical leadership role. 

• Demonstrated success leading large multidisciplinary engineering teams through development, integration, test, and deployment of operational systems. 

• Proven ability to lead across software, systems, AI/ML, simulation, mission systems, flight test, and operational stakeholders. 

• Experience delivering major defense products with significant technical complexity and customer visibility. 

• Experience working directly with Air Force, Navy, Operational Users, Program Executive Offices, or major defense acquisition programs. 

• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to influence government, military, and industry leaders. 

• Experience operating effectively in rapidly evolving, high-consequence environments. 

• Active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a Top Secret clearance. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP), advanced aviation autonomy programs, or related initiatives. 

• Experience with crewed-uncrewed teaming, mission autonomy, autonomous mission systems, air combat autonomy, or collaborative autonomous systems. 

• Background in military aviation, advanced aerospace systems, weapons systems, mission systems integration, or combat aircraft development.