Shield AI

Shield AI

Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Weapons (R5427)

Washington, DC · Senior · Part-time

No sponsorship$163k-$245kDetected 14 hours ago
PythonC++DockerCI/CDLinuxRecruitingEmbedded SystemsMechanical DesignAerospace EngineeringElectrical EngineeringLeadershipCollaboration

About the role

  • Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft.
  • For more information, visit www.shield.ai.
  • Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Responsibilities

  • Develop & Field Autonomy - Develop and integrate autonomy software solutions onto launched effects platforms, including payload computer bring-up, autopilot integration (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot), multi-agent coordination, and deployment to disconnected or air-gapped environments.
  • Own major features from software-in-the-loop through live flight testing and operational deployment.
  • Technical Leadership - Own major features or subsystems
  • drive technical execution, contribute to design decisions, mentor teammates, and help deliver complex autonomy capabilities.
  • Collaboration Across Teams & Partners - Partner closely with the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team, feature crews, autopilot vendors (e.g., PX4, ArduPilot), C2 providers, and customer/contractor partners to deliver integrated autonomy capabilities.
  • Design & Documentation - Contribute to design reviews, ICDs, integration planning, and post-mortems while helping improve engineering rigor and cross-team execution.
  • Pre-deployment Preparation - Build, configure, and validate mission-ready systems for Capability Releases and fleet-scale deployments
  • Mission Data & Debrief Support - Capture mission and test data, reproduce issues in simulation, and partner with autonomy capability owners to rapidly drive improvements into future releases.
  • Continuous Improvement - Develop tools and processes that improve integration timelines, testing reliability, deployment efficiency, and mission readiness.
  • C2 Interoperability & Standards - Implement and validate interfaces with C2 providers while supporting compliance with common message and open-systems standards (e.g., UCI, OMS, MOSA, WOSA, TAK/CoT).

Requirements

  • BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Typically requires 5+ years of relevant experience (or equivalent advanced degree experience).
  • Strong proficiency in C++ and experience developing or integrating real-time or embedded systems.
  • Experience with Linux-based development and embedded systems.
  • Experience integrating complex software and hardware systems.
  • Experience supporting system integration, testing, or field events.
  • Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Nice to have

  • Experience with launched effects, unmanned systems, or autonomous platforms.
  • Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or comparable autopilot stacks.
  • Experience with multi-agent autonomy.
  • Python, Docker, CMake/Conan, or CI/CD experience.
  • All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.
  • Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information. ### Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.

Compensation

  • #LI-ED1 #LC 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)

Benefits

  • Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.
  • 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.

Company info

  • Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
  • We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., track fusion), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on launched effects platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware-for U.S. and international defense customers.
  • Our engineers write new autonomy code-such as mission behaviors, platform-specific control, multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy-and own it end-to-end from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live test exercise.

Equal opportunity

  • equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer.
  • If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
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This listing is sourced directly from Shield AI's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.