The Special Projects team at Shield AI is an elite force within the office of the CTO. It consists of a group of very senior (L5-L8) and highly experienced software engineering experts from diverse fields (aerospace, robotics, cloud infrastructure, game development, interactive media design, ...). The charter of this group is to steer technology development towards strategic alignment with the CTO's vision, through tactical insertion into teams and technologies across the organization. Individuals within this team make direct and at times forward-sprinting contributions to all three pillars of Hivemind, Shield AI's software ecosystem for developing and deploying resilient intelligent teaming for aircrafts. Hivemind consists of four products: EdgeOS (C++ based high-performance middleware for autonomy development), Pilot (autonomy for the edge built atop EdgeOS; a models-based, modular and open architecture C++ codebase), Forge (Shield AI's AI Factory for the design, development, and testing of Hivemind Edge systems; a service-oriented architecture leveraged through an SDK, CLI, and web portal; a Go, Python, Typescript codebase), Commander (Software and hardware to support rich human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop interactions with the Hivemind; a C++-based back-end for interaction with Pilot; and a web-application UI for mission planning, command and control by operators implemented in a Typescript/React codebase).
The Special Projects team is chartered to operate effectively within ambiguity. While this team does not own any software products, it tactically and strategically impacts the development of all foundational Hivemind products and leverages those technologies to rapidly deliver low-TRL solutions. This work happens shoulder-to-shoulder with the product teams in some cases, and in a forward-sprinting manner within the Special Projects team in other cases. The result is direct contribution to products in the former case, and development of reference implementations in the latter. The Special Projects team also functions as a pipeline for product and solution engineering teams across the organization. Individuals who enter the Special Projects team rapidly gain depth and breadth in their understanding of the Hivemind software ecosystem. This positions them well for leading technology development effort across the product and solution organization.
What you'll do:
- Own product definition, roadmap, and metrics across the office of the CTO's agentic AI portfolio: an enterprise knowledge assistant (Brain), an agent-driven engineering platform (Springboard), and enterprise AI/data modernization and app development.
- Translate CTO strategy into crisp requirements, milestones, exit criteria, and KPIs — then hold the line on them.
- Drive adoption of internal platforms: reduce onboarding friction, instrument usage, track NPS and active users, and run developer advocacy and objection handling.
- Shape product direction for foundation-model based autonomy architectures and model lifecycle tooling (evaluation, fine-tuning, verification, deployment).
- Run continuous discovery with engineers, operators, and executive stakeholders; turn findings into prioritized backlogs.
- Prioritize ruthlessly across competing initiatives with small teams and aggressive timelines.
- Analyze the agentic tooling, enterprise AI platform, and foundation model ecosystem; recommend build/buy/partner positions to leadership.
- Author strategy documents, product briefs, and executive updates that drive decisions.
- Manage transitions of maturing products from incubation to owning organizations.
Required qualifications:
- 8+ years of product management for deeply technical products; engineering or CS background.
- Technical fluency: you read code, work APIs and CLIs from a terminal, and prototype with AI coding tools yourself.
- Shipped developer tools, internal platforms, or AI/ML products — and drove their adoption.
- Working fluency in LLM-based systems: agents, evaluation, context management, fine-tuning trade-offs.
- Metrics-driven operating style: you define KPIs, instrument products, and report against thresholds and objectives.
- Exceptional written communication — requirements, strategy docs, executive briefs.
- Proven stakeholder management up to the executive level across engineering, product, and business functions.
- Fluid intelligence that allows one to operate effectively in ambiguous conditions while finding opportunities to drive technical efforts and force multiply.
- This role requires travel to a Shield AI location 1-3 times per quarter
Preferred qualifications:
- Prior experience as a software engineer.
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or other regulated environments (CUI/ITAR, restricted or disconnected deployments).
- Experience with enterprise data platforms (e.g. Databricks) and ERP/business-system integration.
- Experience with safety-critical or assurance-driven software processes (requirements traceability, V&V, certification artifacts).
- Experience taking zero-to-one internal products through incubation, adoption, and handoff.
- Experience with robotics or autonomy products.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of product management for deeply technical products; engineering or CS background.
- Technical fluency: read code, work with APIs and CLIs from a terminal, and prototype with AI coding tools.
- Shipped developer tools, internal platforms, or AI/ML products and drove their adoption.
- Working fluency in LLM-based systems: agents, evaluation, context management, fine-tuning trade-offs.
- Metrics-driven operating style: define KPIs, instrument products, and report against thresholds and objectives.
- Exceptional written communication: requirements, strategy documents, executive briefs.
- Proven stakeholder management up to the executive level across engineering, product, and business functions.
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous conditions and identify opportunities to drive technical efforts.
- Travel to a Shield AI location 1-3 times per quarter.
- Prior experience as a software engineer.
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or other regulated environments (CUI/ITAR, restricted or disconnected deployments).
- Experience with enterprise data platforms (e.g., Databricks) and ERP/business-system integration.
- Experience with safety-critical or assurance-driven software processes (requirements traceability, V&V, certification artifacts).
- Experience taking zero-to-one internal products through incubation, adoption, and handoff.
- Experience with robotics or autonomy products.
What the Team is Saying
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
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
Gallery
%203.jpg)
Shield AI Teams
.jpg)
Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
