Chief Engineer, Autonomy — Space Domain (R5150)

Shield AI is hiring a Chief Engineer, Autonomy — Space Domain (R5150) in Washington DC, United States. It pays $211k-$316k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.

Level's read on this job

Builds AI ●●●● is how Level rates this role: the job is building AI systems.
Tools and skills the posting cites include systems engineering, autonomy and space systems.
Level files it as an executive role.
Level lists 640 other open roles at Shield AI.

AI in this role

Lead the technical architecture and execution of mission-ready space autonomy systems as senior technical authority.

systems-engineeringautonomyspace-systemstechnical-leadership

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Shield AI builds trusted autonomy for national-security space missions. The Chief Engineer, Autonomy — Space Domain is the senior technical authority responsible for defining, delivering, and sustaining autonomy capabilities that convert distributed space, ground, and payload resources into timely, decision-quality data products.

This leader owns the technical vision, system architecture, execution rigor, risk posture, verification strategy, and operational readiness of the space-autonomy solution across its lifecycle: concept development, integration, test, launch/commissioning support where applicable, on-orbit operations, software updates, and mission evolution. The role ensures that autonomy performs reliably across multi-constellation and multi-orbit mission environments, supports resilient operation in constrained or contested conditions, and delivers usable information to mission users at operational tempo.

This is not a research position. This is a position focused on delivering mission-ready autonomy systems that perform in real-world operational environments.

How we rate this

Chief Engineer, Autonomy — Space Domain (R5150) at Shield AI rates 80 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.

Key facts

Chief Engineer, Autonomy — Space Domain (R5150) is an open job at Shield AI.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $211k-$316k a year.
The role is based in Washington, D.C..
The job was posted on June 22, 2026.
Seniority: executive.
Applications are handled by Shield AI. Apply on Shield AI

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Systems EngineeringAutonomySpace SystemsTechnical Leadership

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where systems engineering was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where autonomy was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where space systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where technical leadership was part of your work. What did you do?
How would you decide a model or AI system is ready to ship?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Systems Engineering, Autonomy, Space Systems, and Technical Leadership. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.

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