Shield AI

Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration - Weapons (R5400)

Shield AI$195K — $292K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BS/MS in relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience
  • Minimum of 7 years in relevant field
  • Expertise in C++ and Linux development
  • Proven experience in leading complex autonomy or embedded software integration
  • Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across teams
  • Experience in supporting operational test events or customer deployments
  • Ability to obtain a SECRET security clearance

Responsibilities

  • Lead the technical execution of major autonomy capabilities and mentor engineers
  • Develop and integrate autonomy software onto launched effects platforms
  • Serve as a technical interface to coordinate integration with multiple teams and partners
  • Conduct design reviews and contribute to architecture decisions
  • Drive mission readiness for capability releases and fleet deployments
  • Provide technical leadership during flight tests and operational deployments
  • Lead debugging and root-cause analysis across systems

Benefits

  • Bonus opportunities
  • Equity options
  • Comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees
  • Support for ongoing professional development and skills training
  • Opportunities for travel to various customer sites and test events
Full Job Description
The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for launched effects builds autonomy solutions for small, often air- or ground-launched platforms that operate in multi-agent fleets and frequently in disconnected or air-gapped environments. 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. In this role, you'll lead the technical delivery of complex autonomy capabilities spanning platform integration, fleet operations, and operational deployment. You'll own some of the team's most challenging technical problems while driving technical direction across multiple subsystems and collaborating closely with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception, feature crews, autopilot vendors, C2 providers, and customer partners. You'll combine deep technical expertise with systems thinking to deliver scalable autonomy solutions for fleet-scale operations. What You'll Do: Lead Technical Delivery - Lead the technical execution of major autonomy capabilities; drive technical direction, coordinate cross-functional execution, mentor engineers, and help deliver complex integration efforts. Develop & Field Autonomy - Develop and integrate autonomy software solutions onto launched effects platforms, including autopilot integration, payload systems, executive autonomy, multi-agent coordination, and fleet-scale deployment to disconnected or air-gapped environments. Collaboration Across Teams & Partners - Serve as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception team, feature crews, autopilot vendors, C2 providers, and customer/contractor partners; influence interface definitions and coordinate integration across organizations. Design & Documentation - Lead design reviews, contribute to architecture decisions and ICDs, improve engineering rigor, and establish repeatable integration practices across multiple efforts. Pre-deployment Preparation - Drive mission readiness for Capability Releases and fleet-scale deployments by coordinating validation, release planning, hardware/software compatibility, and operational readiness. On-site Test & Mission Support - Provide technical leadership during flight tests, customer demonstrations, range exercises, and operational deployments while troubleshooting complex issues under time-critical constraints. Hardware/Software Debugging - Lead root-cause analysis across autonomy software, payload computers, embedded systems, networking, and platform interfaces using simulation, lab testing, and field data. Mission Data & Debrief Support - Analyze mission data, reproduce issues, coordinate corrective actions across engineering teams, and drive continuous improvements into future releases. Continuous Improvement - Build tools, automation, and engineering processes that improve deployment velocity, mission reliability, developer productivity, and integration efficiency. C2 Interoperability & Standards - Drive implementation of command-and-control interfaces and support compliance with open-systems standards while coordinating closely with external integration partners. 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: 3BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent practical experience. 3Typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience. 3Expert C++ and Linux development experience. 3Experience leading complex autonomy or embedded software integration efforts. 3Experience influencing technical direction across multiple engineering teams. 3Experience supporting operational test events or customer deployments. 3Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance. Preferred Qualifications: 3Experience with launched effects or distributed autonomous systems. 3Experience integrating PX4, ArduPilot, or custom autopilot solutions. 3Experience with fleet-scale autonomous operations. 3Experience with disconnected or air-gapped deployments. 3Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives. 3Experience with UCI, OMS, MOSA, WOSA, or TAK/CoT. $195,200 - $292,800 a year #LI-ED1 #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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