The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for Emerging Domains builds autonomy solutions for new platforms and mission profiles outside Shield AI's established portfolios—including space (satellites, missile defense), maritime (USV and UUV integration), and contested logistics (unmanned helicopters and related autonomous resupply platforms). The team takes on short-term R&D and integration efforts—often standing up the first autonomy on a brand-new platform or mission—with the intent that successful efforts grow into larger, multi-year programs. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK—selectively leveraging existing Shield AI autonomy solutions where they apply—to develop autonomy that runs on these new platforms. Our engineers write new autonomy code—such as mission behaviors, platform-specific control, multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy—and own it end-to-end from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live test exercise.
In this role, you'll define the technical direction for Emerging Domains, guiding autonomy strategy across multiple new platforms and mission areas while helping transform early-stage R&D efforts into scalable, long-term programs. You'll solve the organization's most complex technical challenges, influence engineering strategy across organizations, and partner with engineering leadership, platform teams, and customer stakeholders to shape the future of Shield AI's next generation of autonomy portfolios.
What You'll Do:
Stand Up New Programs – Define the technical strategy for establishing autonomy on entirely new platforms and mission areas, determining what should be built, reused, or extended from existing Shield AI capabilities.
Navigate Ambiguity & Shifting Priorities – Lead engineering through evolving customer needs, changing priorities, and uncertain technical landscapes while maintaining execution and long-term technical vision.
Technical Strategy & Portfolio Leadership – Define long-term technical direction across Emerging Domains, establishing architecture, integration strategies, and engineering patterns that enable successful transition from R&D to operational programs.
Develop & Field Autonomy – Guide development and deployment of autonomy capabilities across space, maritime, contested logistics, and future emerging platforms while ensuring successful operational delivery.
Platform Team Partnerships – Build deep technical partnerships with platform organizations and influence interface evolution, integration strategy, and long-term platform architecture.
Collaboration Across Teams & Partners – Influence architecture across Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, platform teams, engineering leadership, customer organizations, and external partners.
Design & Documentation – Lead architecture reviews, engineering standards, ICDs, and technical best practices across multiple organizations.
Pre-deployment Preparation – Guide release strategy, mission validation, and operational readiness across multiple emerging programs.
On-site Test & Mission Support – Provide senior technical leadership during critical demonstrations, operational exercises, and customer events where deep systems expertise is required.
Hardware/Software Debugging – Lead resolution of the organization's most challenging autonomy integration problems spanning software, hardware, embedded systems, and platform interfaces.
Mission Data & Debrief Support – Drive organizational learning from operational testing and shape future technical investments based on mission outcomes.
Continuous Improvement – Drive long-term improvements to engineering processes, developer experience, testing infrastructure, and integration workflows across the Emerging Domains portfolio.
C2 Interoperability & Standards – Define technical strategy for command-and-control interoperability and guide adoption of platform-appropriate open-systems standards across emerging programs.
Grow R&D into Programs – Partner with engineering leadership and customers to evolve successful R&D efforts into scalable, long-term programs while helping shape technical strategy for future portfolios.
Hiring & Developing Technical Talent – Help define the technical hiring bar for senior engineering roles, mentor future technical leaders, and partner with managers to grow organizational capability.
Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises.
Required Qualifications:
BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent practical experience. Typically requires 10+ years of relevant experience.
Expert-level C++ and Linux systems development experience.
Demonstrated experience defining technical strategy across multiple programs or engineering organizations.
Proven track record solving highly complex systems integration challenges in ambiguous environments.
Experience mentoring senior engineers and influencing engineering direction without formal authority.
Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience leading first-of-kind autonomy or advanced R&D efforts.
Experience across multiple autonomy domains (air, maritime, space, ground, or robotics).
Experience transitioning prototypes into operational systems.
Experience with government R&D programs and defense customers.
Experience shaping engineering practices across an organization.
Experience with UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, or other defense interoperability standards.
Skills Required
- BS/MS in relevant engineering discipline or equivalent practical experience (typically 10+ years)
- 10+ years of relevant experience
- Expert-level C++ development experience
- Linux systems development experience
- Proven experience defining technical strategy across multiple programs or organizations
- Track record solving complex systems integration challenges
- Experience mentoring senior engineers and influencing without formal authority
- Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance
- Experience leading first-of-kind autonomy or advanced R&D efforts
- Experience across multiple autonomy domains (air, maritime, space, ground, robotics)
- Experience transitioning prototypes into operational systems
- Experience with government R&D programs and defense customers
- Experience with UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586 or other defense interoperability standards
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
