Principal Engineer, Software Architect (R4562)
AI summary of the role
Lead software architecture for Shield AI's XBAT program, spanning mission, vehicle, and autonomy software domains for an advanced airborne system and ground stations.
What you’ll do
- Define and evolve system-wide software architecture for XBAT across airborne vehicle, ground station, and autonomy layers.
- Translate safety and security goals into technical requirements, standards, and design patterns.
- Drive cross-team alignment on APIs, data flows, fault handling, verification strategy, and risk management.
- Produce and maintain architecture artifacts: system diagrams, component interfaces, data models, risk analyses, and design rationales.
What you’ll bring
- Deep expertise in software architecture for complex, multi-domain systems (aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, or safety-critical fields).
- Proven track record designing and delivering production software meeting stringent safety, security, or mission assurance requirements.
- Strong systems thinking across performance, latency, reliability, testability, and certification/compliance tradeoffs.
- Excellent written and verbal communication to convey architecture vision to engineers, program leads, and stakeholders.
Technologies
software architecture · safety-critical systems · cyber hardening · autonomy · mission planning · AI-enabled software · real-time systems · avionics · CI/CD · static analysis
About Shield AI
Builds AI pilot software, aircraft, and vision systems that let militaries and OEMs develop, deploy, and operate mission autonomy in contested environments.
Unicorn
Source and classification
Internal deployment & tooling · Evidence for this classification:
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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. Lead the software architecture for Shield AI’s XBAT program across Mission, Vehicle, and Autonomy software domains. Build a safe, secure, and scalable architecture that enables high‑assurance, cyber‑relevant software development for an advanced airborne system and its ground stations, reporting to the XBAT Software Lead. WHAT YOU’LL DO: Define and evolve the system‑wide
More from the job description
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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. Lead the software architecture for Shield AI’s XBAT program across Mission, Vehicle, and Autonomy software domains. Build a safe, secure, and scalable architecture that enables high‑assurance, cyber‑relevant software development for an advanced airborne system and its ground stations, reporting to the XBAT Software Lead. WHAT YOU’LL DO: Define and evolve the system‑wide software architecture for XBAT, spanning airborne vehicle, ground station, and autonomy layers. Translate safety and security goals into technical requirements, standards, and design patterns that guide engineers across multiple software teams. Ensure architecture supports safety‑critical and cyber‑relevant workflows. This includes formalizing architecture decisions, traceability, and compliance pathways appropriate for advanced airborne systems. Drive cross‑team alignment on APIs, data flows [... source excerpt omitted ...] hardening needs. Support external or internal readiness evaluations: provide architectural evidence, participate in reviews, and help the program articulate compliance posture as requirements evolve. Advocate for continuous improvement in architecture practice: metrics, architecture reviews, knowledge sharing, and onboarding for new team members. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Deep expertise in software architecture for complex, multi‑domain systems—ideally aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, or similarly safety‑critical fields. Proven track record designing and delivering production software that must satisfy stringent safety, security, or mission assurance requirements. Strong [... source excerpt omitted ...] eering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, or a closely related field, or equivalent practical experience. Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Familiarity with aerospace software assurance frameworks or standards that guide high‑assurance airborne software development. Experience working on or integrating autonomy, mission planning, or AI‑enabled software into real‑world systems. Strong understanding of cyber hardening and secure design practices for distributed or networked vehicle systems and ground infrastructure. Prior leadership or mentor role with responsibility for building and scaling architecture practices and design cul
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