The Systems & Platform Integration team serves as the engineering bridge between Hivemind autonomy and operational platforms across Shield AI's Expeditionary and Emerging Operations portfolio. Our mission is to rapidly enable new platform adoption by developing the interfaces, configurations, and integration frameworks required to deploy autonomy capabilities across a diverse portfolio that includes XBAT, VBAT, Weapons, Space, Congested Logistics, and Maritime initiatives.
As a Senior Software Integration Engineer, you will lead the integration of Hivemind autonomy onto a diverse portfolio of operational platforms. You will design and implement the software interfaces that connect autonomy with platform control systems, mission computers, payloads, sensors, and communications while resolving complex integration challenges across software, hardware, and networking.
You will own integrations throughout their lifecycle—from interface design and implementation through validation in Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), and Vehicle-in-the-Loop (VIL) environments to successful demonstrations and operational deployments. This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys solving complex cross-disciplinary integration challenges and wants to see autonomy capabilities transition from development into operational use.
What you'll do:
- Lead integration of Hivemind autonomy onto expeditionary and expeditionary operations platforms.
- Develop and maintain software interfaces between autonomy, vehicle subsystems, autopilots, payloads, mission computers, and platform services.
- Configure Linux mission-computing environments, middleware, containers, and deployment pipelines.
- Integrate sensors, payloads, radios, tactical networks, ground control stations, and mission systems.
- Develop reusable platform onboarding frameworks, interface adapters, and deployment mechanisms.
- Support SIL, HIL, VIL, and representative integration environments to reduce integration risk before flight.
- Lead debugging across hardware, embedded software, networking, and autonomy interfaces.
- Support demonstrations, exercises, surrogate operations, and customer events.
- Coordinate integration activities across autonomy, systems engineering, flight test, program leadership, and external partners.
- Mentor junior engineers and drive engineering best practices.
Required qualifications:
- BS in Computer Science, Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
- 4–7 years of experience in integration and testing of robotics, autonomy, aerospace, or similar complex systems.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python, and familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS).
- Proficiency in Linux-based development.
- Experience integrating complex software systems with vehicle platforms, mission computing environments, payloads, sensors, and communications systems.
- Experience with sensor integration and middleware framework like ROS.
- Hands-on experience supporting field tests, demonstrations, or operational events.
- Strong systems engineering and troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with flight control systems such as ArduPilot or PX4.
- Experience with unmanned aerial systems (fixed-wing, quadrotor, or both)
- Background in autonomy, robotics, or aerospace systems
- Familiarity with flight controllers, radios, and communications systems
- CI/CD experience
Skills Required
- BS in Computer Science, Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering or related field
- 4-7 years integration and testing of robotics, autonomy, aerospace, or similar complex systems
- Proficiency in C++ and Python
- Familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS)
- Proficiency in Linux-based development
- Experience integrating complex software systems with vehicle platforms, mission computing environments, payloads, sensors, and communications systems
- Experience with sensor integration and middleware framework like ROS
- Hands-on experience supporting field tests, demonstrations, or operational events
- Strong systems engineering and troubleshooting skills
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance
- Experience with flight control systems such as ArduPilot or PX4
- Experience with unmanned aerial systems (fixed-wing, quadrotor, or both)
- Background in autonomy, robotics, or aerospace systems
- Familiarity with flight controllers, radios, and communications systems
- CI/CD experience
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage includes medical, dental, vision, and mental-health support, with company materials describing excellent coverage. Feedback suggests these offerings are comprehensive and consistently highlighted across official and third-party benefit lists.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full-time hires, with RSU structures and tools like Carta Tax intended to improve understanding and tax timing. Feedback suggests this broad-based ownership approach is a notable component of total rewards.
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Parental & Family Support — Benefits include paid parental leave, fertility support, childcare benefits, family medical leave, and onsite resources such as a Mother's Room. Feedback suggests the family-oriented offerings are more expansive than basic coverage.
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.
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
