We are seeking Autonomous Software Engineers for full-time roles starting in 2027! This is a paid, in-person, full-time position for students graduating during the 2026-2027 academic year. We are now reviewing applications for positions starting after graduation in 2027.
What you'll doDesign, implement, test, and ship C++ and/or Python features, tools, and tests alongside experienced engineers.
Write embedded firmware in C/C++ for real-time software that controls our advanced UAV while in flight.
Develop tests, reporters, and tooling in Python to validate software behavior and performance.
Develop and evaluate autonomy software across areas such as mission behavior, planning, multi-agent coordination, decision-making, platform integration, or perception (object detection, tracking, sensor fusion, localization, situational awareness, or AI/ML-enabled workflows).
Build unit and integration tests, run and analyze simulation or bench results, and investigate failures using logs, telemetry, traces, and debugging tools.
Support software integration across autonomy capabilities, platform/vehicle interfaces, sensors, perception products, mission compute, and operator or command-and-control (C2) systems, including simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and bench testing.
Work with real and simulated data from cameras, EO/IR sensors, IMUs, GPS, radars, or other mission payloads.
Work cross-functionally with electrical and mechanical engineers to help determine and validate software requirements.
Write documentation for setup steps, interface assumptions, configuration, test procedures, and findings to make workflows repeatable.
Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and test debriefs, and take on more ownership of features and fixes over time.
Required Qualifications
Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, graduating between December 2026 and August 2027.
Proficiency in C++ and/or Python.
Solid foundation in data structures, algorithms, and software fundamentals.
Ability to own well-scoped tasks with limited guidance and communicate progress clearly.
Must be able to work in-person full-time.
Preferred Qualifications
Hands-on project experience (competition team, research lab, capstone, or personal projects) involving robotics, controls, planning, computer vision, or machine learning.
Prior internship or co-op experience writing software.
Familiarity with simulation tools, ROS/ROS2, or hardware-in-the-loop/software-in-the-loop testing.
Experience with sensor data (cameras, EO/IR, IMU, GPS, radar) or multimodal AI/ML data (vision-language or vision-language-action models).
Experience writing unit/integration tests and debugging using logs or telemetry.
Comfortable working in a Linux environment and using version control (e.g., Git).
Exposure to embedded systems, real-time software, or safety-critical software practices.
Skills Required
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field
- Graduating between December 2026 and August 2027
- Proficiency in C++ and/or Python
- Solid foundation in data structures, algorithms, and software fundamentals
- Ability to own well-scoped tasks with limited guidance and communicate progress clearly
- Ability to work in-person full-time
- Hands-on project experience involving robotics, controls, planning, computer vision, or machine learning
- Prior internship or co-op experience writing software
- Familiarity with simulation tools, ROS/ROS2, or hardware-in-the-loop/software-in-the-loop testing
- Experience with sensor data or multimodal AI/ML data
- Experience writing unit/integration tests and debugging using logs or telemetry
- Comfort working in a Linux environment and using version control such as Git
- Exposure to embedded systems, real-time software, or safety-critical software practices
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
-
Healthcare Strength — Company materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with mental-health support and an EAP. Third-party benefits summaries also portray health coverage as a strong component of the package.
-
Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with employer matching, cited on the careers page and independent benefits directories. Multiple sources indicate a match exists, though exact formulas have varied over time and warrant confirmation.
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — Company communications describe equity for all full-time hires and stock benefits as part of total rewards. Independent listings also note company equity/RSUs as a standard element.
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.
