Chief Engineer, Weapons

Shield AI
London, United Kingdom
On-site

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have defense industry experience leading autonomous weapon systems teams.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with defense industry experience leading autonomous systems teams and a technical background in robotics and GNC
    — “defense industry experience as a Chief Engineer and a proven track record of leading technical teams to develop and deploy autonomous weapon systems”
  • Individuals with a strong grasp of software deployment in high-reliability environments and system-level design documentation
    — “Experience defining technical scope and managing technical requirements, product architectures, ICDs, and other system-level design documentation”
  • Engineers with a history of contributing to government contract proposal writing and customer-facing leadership
    — “Customer-facing engineering leadership supporting both defense and internally funded development programs”

Things to consider

  • This role likely requires a UK security clearance for access to sensitive defense projects
    — “UK security clearance”
  • The position requires long-term technical leadership, not just project execution
    — “Chief Engineer at Shield AI is responsible for solving complex technical challenges”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your experience in defining and assigning technical objectives for complex systems
    — “Define and assign technical objectives, make key engineering decisions”
  • Emphasize your ability to lead mid-sized engineering teams in high-reliability environments
    — “Experience leading a team of 6–20 engineers”
  • Showcase your background in deploying software into certifiable environments, especially in defense contexts
    — “10+ years of industry experience in autonomy and/or unmanned weapon systems”
  • Demonstrate your understanding of the full robotics stack, from perception to planning
    — “Understanding of the robotics stack (e.g., controls, estimation, perception, planning, etc.)”
  • Position yourself as an expert in both IRAD and defense contract technical leadership
    — “Provide technical leadership and oversight across both Internal Research and Development (IRAD) initiatives and defense contracts”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · IndustryLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • successful deployment of autonomy solutions
  • technical leadership
  • defense contract delivery
Typical background
defense engineeringautonomy systems

Skills & requirements

Required

Autonomy SolutionsUnmanned Weapon SystemsSystem ArchitectureRisk MitigationProduct Quality

Preferred

UK Security Clearance

About the role

Original posting from Shield AI via Lever

The Chief Engineer at Shield AI is responsible for solving complex technical challenges in deploying advanced autonomy solutions on unmanned weapon systems.

As the chief authority on system architecture, design, development, risk mitigation, and product quality, the Chief Engineer ensures the successful integration of Hivemind Autonomy across a range of unmanned weapon systems.

This role is part of the Hivemind Solutions organization and leads a team of engineers to deliver cutting-edge autonomous capabilities for business-to-business and defense contracts. The ideal candidate has defense industry experience as a Chief Engineer and a proven track record of leading technical teams to develop and deploy autonomous weapon systems.

What you'll do::

  • Serve as the Chief Engineer on Shield AI projects focused on developing and deploying autonomy solutions for unmanned weapon systems.
  • Lead a team responsible for advancing Hivemind Autonomy and shaping defense autonomy architectures.
  • Define and assign technical objectives, make key engineering decisions, and ensure the quality and completeness of all technical deliverables.
  • Provide technical leadership and oversight across both Internal Research and Development (IRAD) initiatives and defense contracts.

Required qualifications::

  • BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree
  • 10+ years of industry experience in autonomy and/or unmanned weapon systems (e.g., defense tech, self-driving cars, etc.)
  • 7+ years of delivering software into production/certifiable environments with high reliability
  • Understanding of guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) (e.g., controls, estimation, planning)
  • Understanding of the robotics stack (e.g., controls, estimation, perception, planning, etc.)
  • Understanding of software development processes and how to effectively deploy software
  • Experience defining technical scope and managing technical requirements, product architectures, ICDs, and other system-level design documentation
  • Demonstrated problem-solving skills through the application of a scientific and technical approach
  • Customer-facing engineering leadership supporting both defense and internally funded development programs
  • Ability to contribute to government contract proposal writing
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
  • Excellent leadership skills, with experience leading a team of 6–20 engineers

Preffered Qualificatons::

  • UK security clearance

Source: Shield AI careers (Lever)

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