GNC Engineer

Job Title : GNC Engineer

Company : Shield AI

Type of Position : DIRECT HIRE

Candidate Requirements :

This role is ONLY open to US Citizens. Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders) and any other work authorizations are NOT permitted here as this role requires eligibility to obtain a secret clearance (a secret clearance is only open to US Citizens). To be clear, a clearance isn't required to start (but all candidates must be eligible to obtain one eventually). Due to the nature of this role (working for a defense contractor tied to the federal government) - candidates may need to pass a drug screen (which would include cannabis). There would be no exceptions to this (eg : a medical card).

Job Location :

This will be an on-site role based in Frisco, TX. We do offer a competitive relocation package for non-local candidates.

Compensation :

Compensation is commensurate with experience, education, and skill level. We are generally targeting $125K / yr to $150K / yr, but there will be flexibility.

Benefits :

• Available and very competitive (health insurance, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, etc).
• This role includes a performance bonus and company equity, allowing you to share in Shield AI's growth and success.

About Shield AI :

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown a fighter jet (F-16), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (V-BAT), and a quadcopter (Nova). The company has offices throughout the USA (and around the world). Shield AI's products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies.

Role Summary :

The GNC team focuses on researching and developing state-of-the-art algorithms that drive high-performance flight for the VBAT and XBAT, both vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. As a GNC Engineer on this team, you'll design, implement, and optimize guidance, navigation, and control algorithms that enable autonomous flight in complex environments. You'll work on tasks such as system modeling, control law development, sensor fusion, and flight simulation, while supporting real-world flight testing to validate performance. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with hardware, software, and autonomy teams in an agile, mission-driven, and values-focused environment grounded in first principles - pushing the boundaries of what's possible in autonomous aviation.

What You'll Do :

Required Qualifications :

Preferred Qualifications :

Work Environment / Other Info :

How to Apply for This Job :

To apply for this position, please follow these steps : Apply for this job with your current resume. We'll get back to you the same day with some feedback on your application. Next you'll be invited to an online screening conversation so we can go over the job requirements together and you can ask questions. After this stage we'll give you more feedback on your application and select the candidates to move forward in the process. Typically steps 1 to 4 takes less than 24 hours.