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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Lead system architecture, design, risk mitigation, and integration of Hivemind autonomy on UAS. Manage a team to deliver production-ready autonomous capabilities for DoD and commercial contracts, provide technical leadership across IRAD and government programs, and support proposals and customer-facing engineering.
Summary Generated by Built In
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Chief Engineer at Shield AI is responsible for solving complex technical challenges in deploying advanced autonomy solutions on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
As the chief authority on system architecture, design, development, risk mitigation, and product quality the Chief Engineer ensures the successful integration of Hivemind Autonomy across a range of aircraft, from small UAS to large autonomous collaborative platforms.
This role is part of the Hivemind Solutions organization and leads a team of engineers to deliver cutting-edge autonomous capabilities for business-to-business and defense contracts. The ideal candidate has defense industry experience as a Chief Engineer and a proven track record of leading technical teams to develop and deploy autonomous systems.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
- Serve as the Chief Engineer on Shield AI projects focused on developing and deploying autonomy solutions for unmanned aircraft
- Lead a team responsible for advancing Hivemind Autonomy and shaping Department of Defense (DoD) autonomy architectures.
- Define and assign technical objectives, make key engineering decisions, and ensure the quality and completeness of all technical deliverables
- Provide technical leadership and oversight across both Internal Research and Development (IRAD) initiatives and DoD contracts.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree
- 10+ years of industry experience in autonomy and/or UAS platforms (e.g., defense tech, self-driving car, etc.)
- 7+ years of delivering software into production/certifiable environments with high-reliability
- Understanding of guidance, control and navigation (GNC) (e.g. controls, estimation, planning)
- Understanding of robotics stack (e.g., controls, estimation, perception, planning, etc.)
- Understanding of software development processes and how to effectively deploy software
- Experience defining technical scope and managing technical requirements, product architectures, ICDs and other system level design documentation
- Demonstrate problem solving skills by applying a scientific technical approach
- Customer-facing engineering leader supporting both defense and internally funded development programs
- Contribute to government contract proposal writing
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
- Excellent leadership skills, driving a team of 6-20 engineers
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.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. 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. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Skills Required
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, or similar degree
- 10+ years industry experience in autonomy and/or UAS platforms (defense tech, self-driving, etc.)
- 7+ years delivering software into production/certifiable, high-reliability environments
- Understanding of guidance, control and navigation (GNC) including controls, estimation, planning
- Understanding of robotics stack (controls, estimation, perception, planning)
- Understanding of software development processes and effective software deployment
- Experience defining technical scope, managing technical requirements, product architectures, ICDs, and system-level design documentation
- Demonstrated scientific technical problem-solving skills
- Customer-facing engineering leader supporting defense and internally funded development programs
- Experience contributing to government contract proposal writing
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proven leadership driving a team of 6-20 engineers
What the Team is Saying
Dylan
Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion
Mo
Lead Engineer, Platform Automation
Willy
Technical Director
Michael
Engineering Manager - State Estimation
Vibhav
Senior Staff Engineer
Kirby
Mechanical Engineer
Ryan
CEO
Evan
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
Shield AI Insights
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The Company
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
