Shield AI

Embedded Software Engineer

Shield AI$110K — $130K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in relevant field or equivalent experience
  • Strong experience in C/C++ development and debugging
  • Knowledge of real-time operating systems (RTOS) or embedded Linux
  • Familiarity with software for robotics and autonomous systems
  • Proficient in software engineering best practices
  • Experience with Linux-based software development
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Design and optimize software for autonomous systems
  • Develop maintainable and high-performance code
  • Create tests and assess performance in simulations
  • Diagnose and debug embedded software issues
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams for system integration
  • Contribute to software architecture and documentation
  • Navigate new feature development from ideation to deployment

Benefits

  • Competitive pay plus bonus and equity
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
  • Generous paid time off and parental leave
  • Access to learning and development resources
  • Flexible working environment
Full Job Description
Embedded Software Engineer

As an Embedded Software Engineer at Shield AI, you will develop, deploy, and optimize embedded software for advanced autonomous systems operating in real-world environments. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver robust, scalable solutions that push the boundaries of intelligent systems for defense and security applications.

What You'll Do
  • Design, implement, test, and optimize embedded software for real-time autonomous systems on resource-constrained hardware platforms
  • Build reliable, maintainable, and high-performance code, primarily in C/C++
  • Develop comprehensive tests and evaluate performance in simulation and on hardware
  • Diagnose and debug complex embedded software issues, including concurrency and integration problems
  • Work closely with hardware, autonomy, and robotics teams to ensure seamless end-to-end system integration
  • Contribute to system and software architecture design, technical documentation, and code reviews
  • Take new features from ideation through verification, refinement, and deployment into active field operations
  • Stay current with the latest advancements in embedded systems, autonomy, and robotics


Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
  • Strong professional experience developing and debugging embedded software in C/C++
  • Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) or embedded Linux
  • Familiarity with embedded software for robotics, autonomous systems, or safety-critical applications
  • Strong understanding of software engineering best practices, including testing, debugging, version control, and maintainable design
  • Experience developing and debugging software on Linux
  • Ability to communicate technical decisions and collaborate effectively across disciplines


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with microcontrollers, SoCs, FPGA-based systems or sensor integration
  • Experience in safety-critical or fielded embedded software for autonomy, robotics, or aerospace platforms
  • Understanding of connectivity protocols (e.g., UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet)
  • Experience in system-level validation: software- or hardware-in-the-loop simulation or direct field testing
  • Contributions to open-source embedded projects or relevant applied research


Benefits
  • Competitive pay + Bonus + Equity
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
  • Generous paid time off and parental leave
  • Learning and development resources
  • Flexible work environment


Salary compensation is influenced by a broad range of factors, including skill set, experience, certifications, and work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and potential reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits; please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

About Shield AI

Shield AI is a defense technology company that develops artificially intelligent systems for military applications. The company was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Shield AI's products include autonomous drones and software that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other military operations. The company's mission is to reduce the number of military casualties by providing soldiers with better intelligence and situational awareness. Shield AI has received funding from a number of investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Learn more about Shield AI
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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