Staff Engineer, Product Security & Compliance (R4650)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the 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 is seeking a senior security professional to lead product security and compliance efforts for our operational autonomous aircraft platforms. This role blends ISSM-level responsibility with hands-on product security and deep collaboration with engineering teams building real, fielded systems.

The ideal candidate brings experience securing aerospace or defense products and approaches compliance as an enabler of mission success. This role emphasizes practical, engineering-driven security decisions that balance regulatory requirements with system performance, autonomy, and operational realities.

What you'll do

Serve as the product security lead and ISSM for operational autonomous aircraft platforms. Own and guide RMF activities, including ATO packages, ongoing authorization, and customer security engagements Translate security and compliance requirements into product-appropriate, technically sound controls Partner closely with systems, software, hardware, and platform engineering teams throughout the product lifecycle Evaluate the security impact and operational tradeoffs of design decisions Support government and customer audits, assessments, and security reviews Contribute to the maturation of product security and compliance practices across Shield AI

Required qualifications

Experience functioning as an Information System Security Manager (ISSM) or senior ISSO for complex systems Experience securing aerospace and/or defense products Strong working knowledge of RMF, NIST 800-53, and the ATO process Enough systems engineering or technical depth to assess the reasonableness and impact of security requirements Ability to work effectively with engineering teams in fast-paced, product-driven environments Active U.S. Secret security clearance Ability to work on-site in Frisco, TX

Preferred qualifications

Active Top Secret (TS) clearance Experience with CMMC and ISO 27001 implementation or assessment Product security experience beyond enterprise IT or GRC-only roles Commercial technology experience in addition to defense Familiarity with secure development lifecycles and embedded or autonomous systems