Principal Engineer, Software Architect

Shield AI
Dallas
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Software EngineeringEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Communication","Mentoring","Leadership","Team collaboration"]

Lead the system-wide software architecture for Shield AI’s XBAT program across Mission, Vehicle, and Autonomy software domains. Define safe, secure, and scalable architecture; translate safety/security goals into requirements; mentor engineers; drive cross-team alignment on APIs, data flows, and verification strategies to enable high-assurance airborne systems.

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FursaFursa
Shield AI
Shield AI
7 months ago

Principal Engineer, Software Architect

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Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 10 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Lead the system-wide software architecture for Shield AI’s XBAT program across Mission, Vehicle, and Autonomy software domains. Define safe, secure, and scalable architecture; translate safety/security goals into requirements; mentor engineers; drive cross-team alignment on APIs, data flows, and verification strategies to enable high-assurance airborne systems.
Location: Dallas
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Software Engineering

Key Responsibilities

  • •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, including formalizing architecture decisions, traceability, and compliance pathways.
  • •Drive cross-team alignment on APIs, data flows, fault handling, verification strategy, and risk management so mission, vehicle, and autonomy components integrate cleanly.
  • •Partner with engineering leadership, system architects, and validation teams to balance innovation speed with rigorous assurance practices.

Key Requirements

  • •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 systems thinking: able to navigate tradeoffs across performance, latency, reliability, testability, and certification or compliance considerations.
  • •Excellent written and verbal communication; able to convey architecture vision and rationale to engineers, program leads, and stakeholders.
  • •Experience driving architecture adoption and discipline across multiple teams, not just authoring designs in isolation.
Experience:AerospaceDefenseAutonomous systemsSafety-critical
Education:Bachelor's
Skills:CommunicationMentoringLeadershipTeam collaboration

Company Brief

Shield AI
Develops AI-powered autonomy and software for military aircraft and drones to enable autonomous ISR and combat missions, integrating perception, navigation, and mission planning for defense customers.
Industry: Defense Technology
Company Size: Large (251 to 1,000 employees)
Growth: Scaleup
Funding: Series E+
Headquarters: San Diego, United States
Founded: 2015
WebsiteLinkedIn