Our Forward Deployed Engineer are technical, customer-facing problem solvers who play a critical role in deploying Shield AI’s Hivemind software in real-world environments.
In this role, you will work closely with customers to understand their requirements, provide technical expertise and customer support during deployment, and ensure successful integration of Hivemind. You’ll also collaborate internally with engineering teams to develop and test new autonomy capabilities.
What you'll do:
- Deploy with customers on site (~30% travel) to support software integration and development activities.
- Become an expert user of the Hivemind enterprise software stack and its various autonomy modules.
- Provide technical support and training to customers on use of Hivemind.
- Develop AI & Autonomy applications using the Shield AI enterprise software development kit.
- Assist the sales team in pre-sales activities, e.g., demos, conferences, immersions
- Assist in post-sales deployment and integration of Shield AI enterprise software products.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation and training materials.
- Help customers debug software/API integration issues.
- Collaborate with the product engineering team to address customer feedback and improve products.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, and 7+ years of industry experience or
- Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, and 5+ years of industry experience.
- Strong technical background in software engineering.
- Strong proficiency in writing modern C++ code.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in the defense, aviation, autonomy, or robotics industry.
- Prior experience as a customer-facing solutions engineer, application engineer, or sales engineer.
- Experience operating in a fast-paced, startup-like, environment.
- Advanced technical degree, especially in robotics or autonomy related fields
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- 7+ years of industry experience
- 3+ years in an integration/applications engineering role
- 3+ years working in a startup environment
- Strong technical background in software engineering
- Strong proficiency in writing modern C++ code
- Intermediate proficiency in writing Python code
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Experience in the defense aviation or robotics industry
- Experience building and running a small enterprise software applications/solutions engineering team
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
