Staff Engineer, System Test Network (R6030)

The role

This engineer will design, build, test and maintain network architectures for HIL laboratories and shared test infrastructure across multiple programs. The role includes network automation, testing, and troubleshooting, and supports customer demonstrations and evaluations.

What you will do

• Design, build, configure and maintain scalable network architectures for HIL labs, integration environments, simulation systems and shared test infrastructure
• Define and manage Layer 2 and Layer 3 configurations, including addressing, VLANs, routing, multicast, QoS, access controls, redundancy and time synchronization
• Develop and maintain networking software, configuration-as-code, automation tools and validation utilities
• Integrate switches, routers, firewalls, servers, simulators, flight computers, sensors and radios into HIL and program network environments, including MANETs
• Develop and execute network test plans measuring connectivity, throughput, latency, jitter, packet loss, failover and performance under load
• Build network observability using packet capture, telemetry, logs, metrics, alerts, dashboards and automated health checks
• Reproduce, isolate and resolve complex network and distributed-system issues
• Partner with Solutions & Integration teams to reproduce deployed issues and provide second-line network support for customer demonstrations and evaluations
• Maintain network baselines, IP assignments, inventories, diagrams, interface-control documentation and change records
• Integrate network configuration and test automation into source control and CI/CD workflows

Required qualifications

• Typically a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree, or 3 years with a Master's degree, or equivalent practical experience
• Strong knowledge of Ethernet and TCP/IP networking, including switching, routing, subnetting, VLANs, multicast, DNS, DHCP, NAT, QoS and common transport protocols
• Hands-on experience configuring and troubleshooting managed switches, routers, firewalls, Linux hosts and networked systems
• Proficiency in Python or a comparable language for network automation, API integration, test development and infrastructure tooling
• Experience developing and executing structured network or system tests using Wireshark, tcpdump, iperf, traffic generators, telemetry and logs
• Experience supporting complex HIL, integration-lab, distributed-system or test-infrastructure environments with shared resources
• Experience with source control, configuration management, technical documentation, network diagrams, issue tracking and change control
• Strong analytical, communication and customer-service skills, with the ability to prioritize cross-program needs under schedule pressure
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance

Nice to have

• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, avionics, flight-test or mission-critical engineering programs
• Experience with HIL, SIL or VIL test environments, real-time simulation, flight computers, sensors, vehicle networks or aircraft integration labs
• Advanced experience with multicast routing, precision time protocol, network timing, deterministic networking, traffic shaping, redundancy or high-availability design
• Experience with Ansible, Netmiko, NAPALM, Terraform, or vendor APIs and SDKs
• Familiarity with enterprise network operating systems and hardware from Cisco, Arista, Juniper, NVIDIA or equivalent
• Experience with virtualization, containers, Docker, Kubernetes, virtual switching, SDN or cloud-connected test infrastructure
• Experience implementing network security controls, secure remote access, vulnerability remediation, zero-trust principles or DoD hardening requirements
• Experience with tactical MANET and mesh-radio systems, particularly Persistent Systems MPU5/Wave Relay and Silvus StreamCaster, including RF and IP performance and routing
• Familiarity with tactical data links, serial communications, CAN, DDS or gateways bridging aircraft and lab network interfaces

Benefits

• Bonus
• Benefits package
• Equity (full-time regular employees)
• Temporary benefits package (temporary employees, applicable after 60 days of employment)

Before you apply

• An offer is contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check
• The ability to obtain a SECRET clearance is required
• Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits
• Pay within the range depends on skill set, experience, licenses and certifications, and work location

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.