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Strategic Systems Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Doist

Chief Engineer

Folsom, CA · On-site

$195 - $250/hr

Chief Engineer for Strategic Systems Overview The Chief Engineer for Strategic Systems is an autonomous technical leader responsible for the end-to-end mission success of solid rocket propulsion ...

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Strategic Systems information

See California salary details

$55.3K

$112.8K

$153.5K

How much do strategic systems jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for strategic systems in California is $112,790.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $97,200.00 and $130,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a strategic system?

Strategic Systems refer to the processes, technologies, and frameworks that organizations use to align their information systems with long-term business goals. These systems are designed to support decision-making, improve efficiency, and provide a competitive advantage by integrating business strategy with technology solutions. Strategic Systems can include enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, business intelligence tools, and other IT infrastructures that enable organizations to adapt to changing markets and achieve their objectives. Professionals in this field help businesses plan, implement, and manage these systems to ensure they support overall strategic goals.

How does a strategic systems professional typically collaborate with other departments within an organization?

Strategic Systems professionals frequently work cross-functionally, partnering with IT, operations, finance, and executive leadership to align technology initiatives with organizational goals. They are often responsible for facilitating communication between technical teams and business stakeholders to ensure that systems implementations support broader strategic objectives. Regular meetings, project updates, and collaborative planning sessions are common, and success in the role often depends on strong interpersonal and project management skills. Effective collaboration helps drive innovation and ensures that system solutions deliver measurable value to the organization.

What is the difference between Strategic Systems vs Business Systems Analyst?

AspectStrategic SystemsBusiness Systems Analyst
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in IT, Business, or related field; certifications like CBAP or PMPBachelor's degree in IT, Business, or related field; certifications like CBAP or PMI-PBA
Work EnvironmentCorporate, consulting firms, or government agencies focusing on long-term IT strategiesCorporate or consulting settings analyzing and improving business processes
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by organizations developing or implementing strategic IT systemsCommonly employed in organizations to analyze and optimize business processes

Strategic Systems professionals focus on developing and implementing long-term IT strategies aligned with business goals, often working on high-level planning and architecture. Business Systems Analysts analyze existing business processes to identify improvements and ensure systems meet organizational needs. While both roles require similar credentials and work environments, Strategic Systems roles are more strategic and future-oriented, whereas Business Systems Analysts focus on current process optimization.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a strategic systems analyst, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Strategic Systems Analyst, you need strong analytical abilities, systems thinking, and a background in business or information systems, often supported by a relevant degree. Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, data analysis tools like SQL or Tableau, and certifications such as CBAP or PMP are commonly required. Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills help bridge technical solutions and business objectives. These competencies are vital for designing effective systems strategies that drive organizational efficiency and competitive advantage.

What are popular job titles related to Strategic Systems jobs in California?

For Strategic Systems jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Strategic Systems jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Strategic Systems jobs in California are:

Strategic Systems jobs near you
Infographic showing various Strategic Systems job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 10% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 89% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $112,790 per year, or $54.2 per hour.

Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration - Expeditionary (R5193)

Shield AI

San Diego, CA

$233K - $350K/yr

Full-time

Posted 25 days ago

Job description

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. 

The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT — an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware — for U.S. and international defense customers. 
 
In this role, you'll own the technical direction for the Expeditionary portfolio, driving the evolution of autonomy architecture across V-BAT and X-BAT while ensuring scalable, mission-ready solutions that support current operators and future platforms. You'll define long-term technical strategy, solve the organization's most complex integration challenges, and influence the direction of autonomy software spanning mission behaviors, platform interfaces, payload integration, executive autonomy, and multi-agent operations. 

You'll partner closely with the Aircraft team, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), engineering leadership, customer/program offices, and operational users to ensure Expeditionary autonomy continues to evolve while remaining reliable in operational environments. 

What You'll Do:

Technical Strategy & Portfolio Leadership – Define and drive the long-term technical direction for Expeditionary autonomy across V-BAT, X-BAT, and future platforms. 

Develop & Field Autonomy – Guide development of mission autonomy, payload integration, flight-autonomy interfaces, executive autonomy, and multi-agent capabilities while ensuring successful operational deployment. 

Aircraft Team Partnership – Establish long-term technical strategy with the Aircraft team for platform integration, interface evolution, and mission readiness. 

Cross-Engineering Leadership – Influence architecture across the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), Aircraft, and customer organizations. 

Subject Matter Expertise – Serve as the organization's technical expert for complex autonomy integration challenges spanning software, hardware, and operations. 

Design & Engineering Excellence – Lead architecture reviews, engineering standards, interface definitions, and organization-wide technical improvements. 

Mentorship & Organizational Growth – Mentor senior engineers, develop technical leaders, contribute to leveling frameworks, and partner on senior hiring. 

Mission Readiness & Operational Excellence – Guide customer releases, deployment strategy, and mission validation while supporting critical operational events. 

Continuous Improvement – Drive long-term improvements to engineering processes, integration workflows, testing infrastructure, and developer experience. 

C2 Interoperability & Open Systems – Define technical strategy for command-and-control interoperability and adoption of open-systems standards. 

Hiring & Developing Technical Talent – Define the technical hiring bar for senior engineering roles, partner with engineering managers on long-term staffing strategy, and help grow the organization's technical capabilities. 

Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises. 

Required Qualifications:

  • BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience.  

  • 10+ years of relevant experience.  

  • Expert-level C++ and Linux systems development experience.  

  • Demonstrated experience defining technical strategy across multiple engineering teams or programs.  

  • Proven track record influencing architecture and solving highly complex systems integration challenges.  

  • Experience mentoring senior engineers and driving engineering excellence.  

  • Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance. 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Extensive experience with Group 3 UAS, VTOL platforms, or comparable autonomous systems.  

  • Experience defining flight-autonomy interfaces or custom autopilot integrations.  

  • Experience deploying autonomy to operational military systems.  

  • Experience with international defense customers.  

  • Experience with STANAG 4586, UCI, OMS, and open-systems architectures.  

  • Experience shaping engineering practices across an organization. 

#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. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.