Be an Early Applicant
Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Lead multidisciplinary teams to design, implement, and deploy autonomy software for unmanned systems. Responsibilities include tactical autonomy algorithm design, high-performance C++ development, behavior architecture implementation, cross-functional integration with perception and hardware teams, and field testing and deployment on real platforms.
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.
Lead the development of cutting-edge autonomy software that enables unmanned systems to operate intelligently in complex, real-world environments. In this role, you will guide multidisciplinary teams to design, build, and deploy high-performance autonomy solutions—from algorithm development to system integration and field testing. Working at the intersection of robotics, aerospace, and software engineering, you’ll drive mission-critical capabilities from concept to flight, delivering resilient, scalable systems that perform in dynamic and contested conditions.
What you'll do:
- Multidisciplinary Team Leadership – Lead teams across autonomy, integration, and testing by aligning technical efforts, resolving cross-functional challenges, and driving mission-focused execution. Balance hands-on technical oversight with performance optimization, innovation, and clear stakeholder communication.
- Tactical Autonomy Design – Design tactical autonomy algorithms to enable unmanned aircraft to perform complex missions across air, land, and sea domains with minimal human supervision.
- High-Performance Software Development – Develop high-performance software modules that incorporate planning, decision-making, and behavior execution strategies for dynamic and adversarial environments.
- Behavior Architecture Implementation – Implement and test behavior architectures that enable multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration – Collaborate with cross-functional teams including perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight test to ensure seamless integration of autonomy solutions on real-world platforms.
- Deployment & Field Testing – Deploy autonomy capabilities to real platforms and participate in field tests and flight demos, validating performance in operationally relevant conditions.
Required qualifications:
- A tertiary level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Robotics or a related field
- Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems
- Strong experience in modern C++
- Experience leading teams to delivery engineering projects
- Significant experience in building and delivering reliable software systems, ideally in fast-paced environments
Preferred qualifications:
- Prior experience with uncrewed systems, especially in the air domain
- Defence industry experience
- Significant experience in one or more of the following domains:* State Estimation
- Real-Time Systems
- Guidance, Navigation and Control
- Path Planning
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.
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, colour, 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
- Tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Robotics or related field
- Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems
- Strong experience in modern C++
- Experience leading teams to deliver engineering projects
- Significant experience building and delivering reliable software systems in fast-paced environments
- Prior experience with uncrewed systems, especially in the air domain
- Defence industry experience
- Significant experience in State Estimation
- Significant experience in Real-Time Systems
- Significant experience in Guidance, Navigation and Control
- Significant experience in Path Planning
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
Am I A Good Fit?
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.
Success! Refresh the page to see how your skills align with this role.
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.
Gallery
Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
