Shield AI

San Diego

Total Offices: 9

Year Founded: 2015

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Engineering 99+ Sales 36 AI & Machine Learning 17 Finance 13 Program & Project Management 13 HR & Recruiting 10 Supply Chain & Procurement 10 Operations & Support 7 Cybersecurity 5 Design 3 Marketing 3 Customer Success & Experience 2 Data & Analytics 1 Product Management 1

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What's It Like to Work at Shield AI?

Updated on September 02, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Job Satisfaction

Shield AI supports employee job satisfaction through mission-driven work, advanced technical challenges, substantial ownership, strong teammates and a direct connection between employee contributions and real-world outcomes.

Work tied to a consequential mission: Shield AI’s mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Employees receive feedback from operational deployments, helping teams see how their work affects people in the field. An engineering fellow said that on the highest-pressure days, he focuses on “what an honor it is to have this opportunity to do something meaningful.”
Advanced technology with visible outcomes: Employees work across AI, robotics, autonomy, aviation and GPS-denied navigation. That includes Hivemind, Shield AI’s autonomy software that enables aircraft and other systems to navigate, make decisions and coordinate without relying on GPS, communications or constant human control; V-BAT, its vertical-takeoff-and-landing uncrewed aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting missions; and X-BAT, its AI-piloted vertical-takeoff-and-landing fighter aircraft program. A senior staff software engineer described Shield AI as a place to work at the intersection of AI, robotics and autonomy while continuing to “learn and grow.”
Ownership, trust and professional growth: Shield AI encourages employees to take responsibility for difficult work, pursue expanding assignments and contribute beyond narrowly defined roles. The company describes high-risk, business-critical assignments as opportunities for development supported by guidance, mentorship and resources. A software manager highlighted “lots of ownership,” technically challenging work and a smart team.
High-caliber, supportive teammates: Shield AI emphasizes servant leadership, candor, kindness and putting the team first. Employees describe colleagues as intelligent, dedicated, humble and willing to help. A staff engineer praised “humble, smart, and overall easygoing teammates,” while a product manager highlighted the quality of the company’s intelligent, dedicated and kind people.
External signals:
- Employee strengths: Employees surveyed externally frequently praise Shield AI’s meaningful mission, technical challenge, ownership, growth opportunities and talent density. (Glassdoor; Indeed)
- Leadership confidence: Gary Steele holds a 71% CEO approval rating in the supplied employee-review snapshot. (Glassdoor)
- Growth and career outlook: Recent five-star reviews highlight major company wins, career impact, rapid growth and confidence in Shield AI’s future. (Glassdoor)

Bottom line: Shield AI supports job satisfaction by combining meaningful mission impact, technically ambitious work, clear ownership, professional growth and teams of highly capable colleagues.

Willingness to Recommend

Yes. Shield AI is a strong workplace for people who want mission-driven work, advanced AI and aerospace challenges, substantial ownership and a fast-moving environment built around high standards and team impact.

A mission employees can see in action: Shield AI develops intelligent systems intended to protect service members and civilians. Employees receive updates from deployments and customer operations, giving teams a direct view of how their work performs in the field. An engineering fellow said that on the highest-pressure days, he focuses on “what an honor it is to have this opportunity to do something meaningful.”
Technically ambitious programs: Employees work on Hivemind, the company’s autonomy software that enables aircraft and other systems to navigate, make decisions and coordinate without constant human control; V-BAT, a vertical-takeoff-and-landing uncrewed aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting; and X-BAT, an AI-piloted vertical-takeoff-and-landing fighter aircraft program. A senior staff software engineer described Shield AI as a strong place to work at the intersection of AI, robotics and autonomy while continuing to “learn and grow.”
Ownership and growth: Shield AI encourages employees to take on difficult, business-critical assignments and supports development through mentorship, guidance and expanding responsibility. A software manager highlighted “lots of ownership,” technically challenging work and a smart team, while another employee said people can pursue opportunities, demonstrate ownership and be rewarded for it.
Strong teammates and clear values: The company emphasizes servant leadership, candor, kindness, grit and putting the team first. Employees describe colleagues as intelligent, dedicated, humble and highly supportive. A staff engineer praised “humble, smart, and overall easygoing teammates” who readily help one another.
External signals:
- Employee recommendation themes: Recent employee reviews consistently praise the mission, talent density, ownership, technical challenge and career impact. (Glassdoor; Indeed)
- Leadership confidence: Gary Steele holds a 71% CEO approval rating in the supplied review snapshot. (Glassdoor)
- Growth momentum: Employees point to major company wins, expanding programs and strong customer demand as reasons for confidence in Shield AI’s future. (Glassdoor)

Bottom line: Shield AI is recommended by employees who value meaningful defense technology work, exceptional technical challenges, strong ownership and highly capable teammates.

Shield AI Employee Reviews

One of my favorite things about my job is that it ties the speed of development of software with the physical reality of hardware. I can code something up in the morning and watch its effect on the robot in the afternoon.

Dylan, Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion

In the 3 years I've worked here, we've always found ways to make things happen, all while maintaining the same level of drive and passion. I think we're able to do this by "doing what makes sense," both for our engineering and our people.

Mo, Lead Engineer, Platform Automation

Joining Shield AI was a unique opportunity for me after working at traditional defense companies. Our work at Shield AI -- providing cutting-edge AI software to deploy on intelligent systems -- presents an opportunity to redefine defense technology.

Willy, Technical Director

The vibe is collaborative and lively, but there's also plenty of space for independent deep work.

Michael, Engineering Manager - State Estimation

The most successful people on my team have a "no job is too small" and team-first mentality. They understand & appreciate the value of building fast -- with rigor and long-term sustainability in mind. They are also intellectually curious and frequently read papers, books, etc., and are retrospective of our performance so we can constantly improve.

Vibhav, Senior Staff Engineer

I get to do hands-on work every day -- touching the aircraft, learning how it's put together and how it operates, diagnosing issues and troubleshooting, and more. That's really what drew me to this job because I want to do more than sit behind a desk.

Kirby, Mechanical Engineer

Our vision is to protect service members and civilians at scale by building a defining technology company of this generation. We will achieve this by being mission driven; living our values of honor, service, and excellence; and building the world's best AI pilot.

Ryan, CEO

Shield AI has given me a lot of flexibility to determine my own schedule and develop work habits that work well for me. I also have been consistently supported when I express that I'm feeling overburdened and have been encouraged to rest and recuperate.

Evan, Senior Machine Learning Engineer

On the days with the most pressure, I think about what an honor it is to have this opportunity to do something meaningful.

Chris Barngrover, Engineering Fellow

Every goal our company sets out to accomplish is supported by integrity.

Ellen Cappo , AI Systems & Integration

One aspect of my work that I find profoundly rewarding is the opportunity to support Marine Corps operations directly, especially after being disconnected from the Marines for almost two decades.

Renee Hubener, Program Manager

What People Are Saying About Shield AI

Mission & Purpose: The mission to protect service members and civilians, anchored by Hivemind deployed on platforms like V-BAT, gives day-to-day work tangible real-world stakes and meaning. Many point to purpose and impact as central reasons to join and stay.
Innovation & Products: Work spans cutting-edge autonomy, hardware, simulation, and flight test with frequent cross-functional build–test–iterate cycles. Hands-on exposure to aircraft and systems enables contributors to see their work move from development into the field.
Market Position & Stability: Large 2026 financing at a $12.7B valuation and a simulation-focused acquisition signal substantial runway and ongoing investment in core technology. Public momentum and aggressive scaling plans indicate resources to support ambitious programs.