Shield AI

Staff Engineer, DevOps (4797)

Shield AI$150K — $220K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BS in CS, CE, EE, or related field with 7+ years industry experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
  • Deep expertise in CMake/C++ or equivalent.
  • Strong understanding of dependency management with proficiency in either Conan or CPM.
  • Proficiency in containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud build clusters).
  • Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash).
  • Hands-on experience integrating automated testing into CI pipelines.
  • Demonstrated success in improving developer productivity at scale.

Responsibilities

  • Own and maintain the build system for autonomous aircraft (XBAT/VBAT).
  • Improve developer velocity by reducing build/test cycle time and eliminating pipeline bottlenecks.
  • Collaborate with Software Engineers to understand requirements and implement solutions.
  • Partner with developers to quickly resolve build/test failures and establish best practices.
  • Integrate CI pipelines with HIL and simulation environments for automated validation.
  • Implement monitoring, dashboards, and alerts related to build system performance.
  • Use agentic solutions to identify root causes and communicate feedback effectively.

Benefits

  • Bonus opportunities.
  • Equity options.
  • Full-time employee benefits package includes health, dental, and vision plans.
  • Flexible work environment with support for professional growth.
  • Access to cutting-edge technology and advancements in autonomous systems.
Full Job Description
Job Description:

Shield AI is building autonomous aircraft that redefine aviation. The Software Integration & Operations (SIO) team builds the pipelines, tools, and systems that make fast, reliable delivery of complex aircraft software possible.

As a DevOps Build Engineer, you will own and maintain the build system for our autonomous aircraft (XBAT/VBAT). This role is primarily focused on Developer Experience (DevEx) and bringing DevOps best practices to our software engineers to accelerate their development cycles.

What you'll do:

  • Be the expert on our native (C++) software build process.
  • Improve developer velocity by reducing build/test cycle time and eliminating pipeline bottlenecks.
  • Collaborate with Software Engineers to understand their requirements, propose designs, and implement identified solutions.
  • Partner with developers to resolve build/test failures quickly and set best practices for integration.
  • Integrate CI pipelines with HIL and simulation environments for automated validation.
  • Implement monitoring, dashboards, and alerts related to build system performance for both local development and CI workflows.
  • Use agentic solutions to aid in quickly identifying root cause around build failures and getting the appropriate feedback to a Software Engineer.


Required qualifications:

  • BS in CS, CE, EE, or related field with 7+ years industry experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
  • Deep CMake/C++ expertise or equivalent.
  • Strong understanding of dependency management and proficiency with either Conan or CPM.
  • Proficiency with containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud build clusters).
  • Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash).
  • Hands-on experience integrating automated testing into CI pipelines.
  • Demonstrated success improving developer productivity at scale.
  • Demonstrated track record of excellence as a primary contributor on projects - showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions in a fast-paced environment


  • Proficiency with CICD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Gitlab).
  • Cloud Operations experience (Azure, AWS, GCP).
  • Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible) and monitoring (Grafana, Prometheus).
  • Background in robotics, autonomy, or aerospace systems.


$150,000 - $220,000 a year

#LI-SM1

#LD

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.

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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