We’re looking for a software engineer to develop internal tools that directly accelerate the development of some of the most cutting-edge aircraft in the defense industry. In this role, you’ll partner closely with engineers across disciplines to design, build, and support a wide range of tooling — from lightweight automation scripts and macros to more robust frameworks and platforms. These solutions will be deeply embedded in daily workflows and represent some of the highest-impact software at the company, enabling teams to move faster, make better decisions, and bring advanced capabilities to life more efficiently.
What you'll do:
- Own software development from design through deployment for a range of internal tools, as an independent developer operating within a broader organization.
- Integrate diverse engineering systems, including electronic design automation, computer-aided design, and product lifecycle management tools.
- Embed with teams such as electrical engineering and production automation to incubate new projects and develop elegant solutions to difficult problems.
- Use databases, scripts, services, and application packaging to deploy software across multiple platforms.
- Improve existing frameworks and tools by adding features, fixing bugs, and enhancing maintainability.
- Use AI assisted tools and workflows to accelerate development.
Required qualifications:
- 5+ years of software development experience.
- Proficiency in Python, C++, JavaScript, and SQL.
- Experience designing, building, and supporting internal tools used by engineering, manufacturing, or operations teams.
- Experience with database schema design and analysis.
- Experience building automated package build and deployment pipelines (CI/CD).
- Experience with containerization technologies (Docker).
- Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, GCP, AWS).
Skills Required
- 5+ years of software development experience.
- Proficiency in Python.
- Proficiency in C++.
- Proficiency in JavaScript.
- Proficiency in SQL.
- Experience designing, building, and supporting internal tools for engineering, manufacturing, or operations teams.
- Experience with database schema design and analysis.
- Experience building automated package build and deployment pipelines (CI/CD).
- Experience with containerization technologies (Docker).
- Experience with cloud platforms (Azure, GCP, AWS).
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.
