Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Behaviors (R4588)

Posted 7 Hours Ago
Be an Early Applicant
3 Locations
In-Office
160K-240K Annually
Senior level
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Design, implement, and own tactical autonomy behaviors for unmanned platforms. Develop and test multi-agent coordination, motion and behavior planning, target engagement, and survivability features. Work across the software lifecycle, integrate with sensor, estimation, communications, and control systems, contribute to shared frameworks, and support platform integration and testing (travel up to 20%).
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. 

About The Team

The Autonomy Capabilities team at Shield AI has assembled a diverse team of experts in software, robotics, control systems, optimization, and data analysis to create software solutions that greatly evolve the capabilities of our customers. The team is responsible for developing autonomous behaviors within Shield AI’s industry-leading mission autonomy software stack and deploying them across a breadth of platforms, including the Anduril Fury, Northrup Grumman Talon, Shield AI V-Bat, and other first and third-party autonomous vehicles. We work in close coordination with specialist teams in software integration, hardware, and test engineering to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers.

About the Job:

    As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll build and own autonomy behaviors that directly power our products, taking responsibility for key components from design through deployment. You’ll work across teams to turn complex mission needs into reliable, scalable software, balancing near-term delivery with long-term maintainability and performance. In this role, you’ll play a critical part in shaping how autonomy capabilities are designed, integrated, and evolved across our platforms.

What You'll Do:

  • Develop tactical autonomy software to enable unmanned platforms to perform complex missions across air, land, sea, and space domains with limited human supervision
  • Implement and test behaviors supporting multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios
  • Contribute across the software development lifecycle, including requirements, design, implementation, verification, and validation, following established engineering best practices
  • Collaborate with senior engineers to design and build scalable, maintainable software components that integrate with broader system architecture (e.g., sensor processing, state estimation, communications, and actuation)
  • Support reuse and extensibility of autonomy behaviors by contributing to shared frameworks and codebases
  • Work with internal product and program teams to deliver capabilities to vehicle platforms, helping ensure successful integration and iteration over time
  • Collaborate with cross-functional and external teams to align on interfaces and system requirements
  • Apply strong software engineering fundamentals to solve complex technical problems, while continuing to grow domain expertise in autonomy and robotics systems
  • Travel up to 20% to support integration, testing, and collaboration with end-users and partner teams

Required Qualifications:

  • BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
  • Proficient in production-level C++ software development
  • 5+ years' experience in one or more of the following: software sub-system scheduling and integration, behavior planning, task and resource allocation, motion planning, optimization, or flight controls
  • Experience with collaborative software development tools for version control, issue tracking, code reviews, release management
  • Ability to contribute to the design, development, and integration of complex software systems as part of a multi-disciplinary team
  • Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to learn new technologies in a fast-paced environment
  • Willingness to collaborate closely with teammates and support team objectives
  • Interest in growing technical skills and, over time, providing guidance to more junior engineers
  • Desire to work in a highly collaborative, fast paced, and mission-driven environment
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience working with systems at one or more technology readiness levels (TRLs), including supporting the maturation of research concepts toward operational use
  • Experience with mission systems integration, including participation in integration events, testing, or demonstrations
  • Experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Collaborative mission planning, behavior planning, or coordinated teaming
  • Motion planning across different vehicle types or constraints
  • Sensor/target pairing, control strategies, or related autonomy functions
  • Safety systems such as collision avoidance or geofencing
  • Experience with robotic software ecosystems (e.g., ROS, OMPL, optimization tools)
  • Experience with simulation tools for testing and validation
  • Familiarity with navigation and communications systems
  • Experience contributing to portions of the product development lifecycle
  • Familiarity with systems engineering principles
  • Familiarity with high-assurance software practices (e.g., DO-178C or similar standards)

#LC
#LI-ED1

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.
 
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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

  • BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace, Electrical, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
  • Proficient in production-level C++ software development
  • 5+ years experience in software sub-system scheduling and integration, behavior planning, task and resource allocation, motion planning, optimization, or flight controls
  • Experience with collaborative software development tools for version control, issue tracking, code reviews, release management
  • Ability to contribute to design, development, and integration of complex software systems as part of a multi-disciplinary team
  • Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to learn new technologies in a fast-paced environment
  • Willingness to collaborate closely with teammates and support team objectives
  • Interest in growing technical skills and, over time, providing guidance to more junior engineers
  • Desire to work in a highly collaborative, fast paced, and mission-driven environment
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance
  • Experience working with systems at one or more technology readiness levels (TRLs)
  • Experience with mission systems integration, including integration events, testing, or demonstrations
  • Experience in collaborative mission planning, behavior planning, or coordinated teaming
  • Experience with motion planning across different vehicle types or constraints
  • Experience with sensor/target pairing, control strategies, or related autonomy functions
  • Experience with safety systems such as collision avoidance or geofencing
  • Experience with robotic software ecosystems (e.g., ROS, OMPL, optimization tools)
  • Experience with simulation tools for testing and validation
  • Familiarity with navigation and communications systems
  • Experience contributing to portions of the product development lifecycle and systems engineering principles
  • Familiarity with high-assurance software practices (e.g., DO-178C or similar standards)

What the Team is Saying

Dylan
Mo
Willy
Michael
Vibhav
Kirby
Ryan
Evan

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.

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The Company
HQ: Port Melbourne, Victoria
Year Founded: 2015

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.

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Shield AI Offices

Hybrid Workspace

Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.

Typical time on-site: 3 days a week
HQMelbourne, Victoria
HQSan Diego, CA
Abu Dhabi, AE
Arlington, VA
Boston, US
Frisco, US
Kyiv, UA
Melbourne, AU
Oslo, NO
Prosper, TX
Taipei City, TW
Taipei City, TW
Waltham, MA
Washington, US
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