Senior Staff Engineer, Human Factors (R3478)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide.  For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.    

Job Description:

Step into the future of intelligent systems as a Human Factors Engineer, where innovation meets mission-critical impact. In this role, you’ll work on groundbreaking manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) projects that redefine how humans interact with autonomous systems across air, land, sea, and underwater domains.

You won’t just be observing from the sidelines — you’ll be hands-on, influencing the design, operation, and user experience of next-generation unmanned platforms. Collaborate closely with a driven, cross-disciplinary team of engineers, UX designers, product managers, and military subject matter experts to develop systems that are intuitive, effective, and mission-ready.

If you're passionate about advancing human-system interaction and thrive at the intersection of technology and real-world application, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact. Join us and be part of a team that’s shaping the future of intelligent, collaborative defense systems.

• Review and select human factors methodologies; adapt and apply them to the design and evaluation of our products
• Conduct field research using ethnographic methods and cognitive task analysis to develop and validate system requirements
• Contribute to use case, user stories and scenario development that drive product design processes
• Collaborate with UX designers to create and review impactful human-machine interface designs and prototypes
• Advocate for human perceptual and cognitive considerations as they apply to sense-making and decision-making tools
• Ensure compliance with customer human factors standards
• Present interface designs and prototypes to multiple audiences for feedback and/or handoff
• Conduct testing in order to approve software features and releases
• Prepare test plans that collect quantitative and qualitative data in modeling and simulation contexts as well as live flight tests
• Review and provide feedback on technical documentation and systems engineering documentation
• Conduct literature reviews and create written summaries and briefings containing recommendations for our products
• Travel to company, test, and customer locations to conduct project work 

• A graduate degree in a relevant field (human factors engineering/psychology, cognitive systems engineering, integrated systems engineering, applied cognitive science, information science or related discipline) with a minimum of 8 years of total experience (Ph.D. + 4 years or Master’s + 6 years)
• Prior experience in a multidisciplinary setting and great teamwork skills collaboration with other functional partners
• Strong ability to develop and execute research or test plans involving human subjects
• Mastery of human factors and human performance concepts and theories
• Passion for solving complex problems while navigating constraints and trade-offs in a fast-paced setting
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Experience with MUM-T, human-robot interaction or artificial intelligence applications
• Experience with human-machine interface design
• Experience with command and control systems

#LI-ED1 

#LE

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.