Staff Engineer, Safety

About the role

Safety Engineer, X-BAT Program

Shield AI operates at the convergence of defense technology and mission assurance, developing intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians globally. The company's portfolio includes the Hivemind autonomy software stack, the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft platforms, and the Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. These capabilities are deployed from offices and facilities across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region, supporting operations on a worldwide scale. More information is available at www.shield.ai, with updates shared on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

This position is focused exclusively on the X-BAT program, a next-generation platform central to advanced autonomy and operational security. The Safety Engineer for X-BAT ensures that system-level safety requirements are developed, integrated, and verified with rigorous attention to design, analysis, and compliance. This role connects engineering design, system safety analysis, airworthiness considerations, and cybersecurity practices. The engineer will interrogate technical systems, drive hazard analysis activities, and confirm that requirements are correctly implemented to meet the high standards expected by Shield AI.

Location: USA

Engagement: Full-time Employee

Compensation: $160,000.00 per year

The role involves translating cross-disciplinary engineering inputs into a coherent and living safety baseline. You will work directly with the System-Safety and Airworthiness Lead, Systems Engineering, and technical Responsible Engineers to maintain the safety baseline and the Hazard Tracking System. Success in this position requires analytical rigor, adaptability in fast-paced innovation environments, and comfort with cross-disciplinary technical challenges. The ideal candidate takes ownership of system-level safety decisions and drives alignment between analysis and engineering design.

Key Responsibilities

You will drive system-level safety requirements for X-BAT through structured hazard analysis sessions, ensuring that potential risks are identified and addressed early. You will design verification approaches that confirm safety constraints are satisfied before flight testing begins. Coordination with Responsible Engineers will be essential to align cybersecurity measures with airworthiness objectives and to manage emerging threats.

Maintaining the Hazard Tracking System will be a core duty, ensuring that cross-discipline decisions and evolving risks are accurately recorded and acted upon. You will synthesize safety cases that connect simulation results with real-world operational conditions, providing clear evidence for technical decisions. The role will challenge design assumptions by tracing requirements from airworthiness considerations through to implementation details. You will partner with systems engineers to validate that integration efforts do not erode established safety margins. Supporting airworthiness activities will include documenting evidence for certification and review gates, facilitating compliance and oversight processes.

Qualifications

You hold a Bachelor of Science in a relevant discipline or equivalent practical experience. Professionals with 3-5 years of experience applying safety methods to complex systems are sought. You should be able to interpret DO-178C or similar functional safety standards within appropriate contexts. Demonstrated skill with common analysis techniques such as FMEA and FTA is required. Clear communication skills are necessary to explain technical risk to cross-functional teams. You will manage requirements and traceability using established tracking tools, ensuring visibility and accuracy across the development lifecycle. An understanding of how software and firmware choices affect system safety is essential. You must be authorized to work in the United States for this role.

Preferred Experience

Experience with defense programs or regulated operational environments is considered a strong advantage. Familiarity with the unique constraints and compliance expectations of defense technology programs will support effective execution in this role.

Tools and Technologies

Proficiency with the Hivemind autonomy software platform will be valuable, as will knowledge of the V-BAT aircraft and X-BAT aircraft systems. Experience with Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies will further support your ability to validate safety requirements in virtual environments and operational scenarios.

Practical Information

Please Job responsibilities, compensation, and location specifics are subject to change based on business needs and candidate qualifications. This position plays a critical role in ensuring that X-BAT advances safely, securely, and in alignment with Shield AI's mission.