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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Own and maintain native C++ build systems for autonomous aircraft. Improve developer velocity by reducing build/test cycle time, integrate CI with HIL and simulation, implement monitoring and alerts, troubleshoot build/test failures, and collaborate with engineers to design and deploy DevEx/DevOps solutions.
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.
Shield AI is building autonomous aircraft that redefine aviation. The Software Integration & Operations (SIO) team builds the pipelines, tools, and systems that make fast, reliable delivery of complex aircraft software possible.
As a DevOps Build Engineer, you will own and maintain the build system for our autonomous aircraft (XBAT/VBAT). This role is primarily focused on Developer Experience (DevEx) and bringing DevOps best practices to our software engineers to accelerate their development cycles.
As a DevOps Build Engineer, you will own and maintain the build system for our autonomous aircraft (XBAT/VBAT). This role is primarily focused on Developer Experience (DevEx) and bringing DevOps best practices to our software engineers to accelerate their development cycles.
What you'll do:
- Be the expert on our native (C++) software build process.
- Improve developer velocity by reducing build/test cycle time and eliminating pipeline bottlenecks.
- Collaborate with Software Engineers to understand their requirements, propose designs, and implement identified solutions.
- Partner with developers to resolve build/test failures quickly and set best practices for integration.
- Integrate CI pipelines with HIL and simulation environments for automated validation.
- Implement monitoring, dashboards, and alerts related to build system performance for both local development and CI workflows.
- Use agentic solutions to aid in quickly identifying root cause around build failures and getting the appropriate feedback to a Software Engineer.
Required qualifications:
- BS in CS, CE, EE, or related field with 7+ years industry experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
- Deep CMake/C++ expertise or equivalent.
- Strong understanding of dependency management and proficiency with either Conan or CPM.
- Proficiency with containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud build clusters).
- Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash).
- Hands-on experience integrating automated testing into CI pipelines.
- Demonstrated success improving developer productivity at scale.
- Demonstrated track record of excellence as a primary contributor on projects - showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions in a fast-paced environment
- Proficiency with CICD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Gitlab).
- Cloud Operations experience (Azure, AWS, GCP).
- Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible) and monitoring (Grafana, Prometheus).
- Background in robotics, autonomy, or aerospace systems.
#LI-SM1
#LD
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 in CS, CE, EE, or related field with 7+ years industry experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
- Deep CMake/C++ expertise (or equivalent).
- Strong understanding of dependency management and proficiency with either Conan or CPM.
- Proficiency with containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud build clusters).
- Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash).
- Hands-on experience integrating automated testing into CI pipelines.
- Demonstrated success improving developer productivity at scale.
- Demonstrated track record as a primary contributor delivering high-quality solutions in fast-paced environments.
- Proficiency with CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GitLab).
- Cloud operations experience (Azure, AWS, GCP).
- Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible) and monitoring (Grafana, Prometheus).
- Background in robotics, autonomy, or aerospace systems.
What the Team is Saying
Dylan
Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion
Mo
Lead Engineer, Platform Automation
Willy
Technical Director
Michael
Engineering Manager - State Estimation
Vibhav
Senior Staff Engineer
Kirby
Mechanical Engineer
Ryan
CEO
Evan
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
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
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The Company
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
