Senior Engineer, Operations Analyst (R5831)

About the role

Shield AI, a venture-backed defense-tech company developing autonomy software, aircraft and simulation technologies, is seeking a Senior Engineer, Operations Analyst to model, simulate and analyze its autonomous aircraft systems. The role evaluates mission effectiveness, survivability and operational impact across multiple platforms and works with engineering, product development and defense stakeholders to inform design trade-offs and optimize mission capabilities.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and run operational analysis strategies to assess autonomous aircraft in real-world military scenarios.
• Lead modeling, simulation and wargaming to evaluate system performance, mission impact and survivability.
• Translate operational insights into design decisions with engineering teams and product managers.
• Run trade studies and sensitivity analyses under varying conditions and threats.
• Build high-fidelity mission models with tools such as AFSIM, STK, MATLAB and Python.
• Analyze force-on-force engagements, sensor effectiveness and autonomy-driven decision-making.
• Work with DoD stakeholders, operators and warfighters to align capabilities with mission needs.
• Support concept of operations (CONOPS) development for new AI-driven aircraft.
• Develop and present technical reports, briefings and recommendations to leadership, customers and government agencies.
• Use cloud/HPC workflows, containerization, version control, CI/CD and automated testing to build and run simulation pipelines.

Required profile

• 5+ years in operational analysis, modeling and simulation (M&S) or military operations research.
• Expertise in military mission analysis, operational planning and wargaming.
• Experience with DoD stakeholders, warfighters and government agencies.
• Excellent communication and briefing skills, including presentations to senior leadership and military personnel.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile environment with shifting priorities.

Required skills

• Aerospace and defense modeling and simulation tools such as AFSIM, STK or MATLAB.
• Modern compute and software development practices: cloud/HPC workflows, containerization, Git, CI/CD, automated testing.

Preferred: force-on-force analysis, CONOPS or campaign modeling, familiarity with JCIDS and DoD acquisition, experience integrating AI decision algorithms, prior military service, active Secret or Top-Secret clearance, and use of GenAI for simulation tools.