Be an Early Applicant
Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Develop and optimize real-time Ground Control Station software for UAVs, building high-performance client/server systems, React/TypeScript UIs, telemetry processing, mission planning, and low-latency control. Collaborate across autonomy, embedded, backend, and UX teams, contribute to architecture, lead feature development, and produce well-tested, deployable software.
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.
Job Description:
We’re looking for a Software Engineer to join our team developing next-generation Ground Control Station (GCS) applications for unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This role is ideal for engineers with a strong foundation in real-time, performance-sensitive software who also bring experience with modern web technologies.
You’ll work on mission-critical software that bridges responsive user interfaces with robust backend systems, enabling human operators to plan, command, and monitor autonomous assets with precision and reliability.
What you'll do:
- Design, develop, and optimize ground control software that enables low-latency communication with UAVs and other autonomous platforms.
- Build high-performance client and server applications that support telemetry processing, mission planning, and real-time control.
- Implement responsive user interfaces with React and TypeScript for operator workflows and visualization of spatial data, sensor feeds, and mission state.
- Collaborate closely with teams across autonomy, embedded systems, backend, and UX to deliver integrated, field-ready solutions.
- Contribute to architectural decisions and system designs that ensure responsiveness, scalability, and fault-tolerance.
- Lead development efforts on key features or subsystems, from early design through deployment and iteration.
- Write high-quality, well-tested code and participate in peer design/code reviews.
Required qualifications:
- Senior: Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience, or Masters with 4+ years, or PhD with 2+ years.
- Staff: Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience, or Masters with 6+ years, or PhD with 4+ years.
- Senior Staff: Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of relevant experience, or Masters with 9+ years, or PhD with 7+ years.
- Demonstrated experience building real-time or performance-sensitive applications—preferably for UAVs, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or simulation environments.
- Proficiency in a strongly typed programming language (e.g. C#, TypeScript, Java, C++) with exposure to lower-level systems or protocol integration.
- Experience with web technologies, especially React, TypeScript/JavaScript, and Node.js.
- Strong software engineering fundamentals including version control, testing, debugging, and performance profiling.
- Proven ability to deliver high-quality software as part of a collaborative engineering team.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with GCS software, mission planning tools, or real-time visualization platforms.
- Familiarity with API-driven systems using REST or gRPC, and communication protocols like WebSocket or custom telemetry formats.
- Knowledge of standards such as STANAG 4586, Cursor on Target (CoT), or MAVLink.
- Familiarity with containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD practices.
- Exposure to distributed systems and cloud integration for telemetry data pipelines.
- Understanding of security best practices in control systems and networked applications.
#LI-AA1
#LC
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.
###
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
- Bachelor's degree with 5+ years (Senior) or Masters/PhD with equivalent reduced experience; Staff/Senior Staff tiers available
- Experience building real-time or performance-sensitive applications (UAVs, robotics, autonomous vehicles, simulation)
- Proficiency in strongly typed languages such as C#, TypeScript, Java, or C++
- Experience with web technologies, especially React, TypeScript/JavaScript, and Node.js
- Strong software engineering fundamentals: version control, testing, debugging, performance profiling
- Proven ability to deliver high-quality software as part of a collaborative engineering team
- Experience with GCS software, mission planning tools, or real-time visualization platforms
- Familiarity with API-driven systems (REST or gRPC) and communication protocols like WebSocket or custom telemetry formats
- Knowledge of standards such as STANAG 4586, Cursor on Target (CoT), or MAVLink
- Familiarity with containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD practices
- Exposure to distributed systems and cloud integration for telemetry data pipelines
- Understanding of security best practices in control systems and networked applications
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
