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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.
Job Description:
As a Staff State Estimation Engineer, you will play a key role in the GNC team, driving the development, optimization, and deployment of advanced sensor fusion algorithms for autonomous UAV navigation in dynamic and contested environments. You will design and implement real-time sensor processing pipelines, integrate multi-sensor data for robust state estimation, and collaborate closely with autonomy researchers, software engineers, and hardware teams to ensure seamless system performance.
Your expertise will contribute to transitioning cutting-edge research into deployable solutions, helping Shield AI push the boundaries of UAV autonomy and situational awareness.
What you'll do:
- Develop and implement advanced sensor processing algorithms for IMUs, cameras, GPS, radar, and other sensors.
- Improve state estimation robustness and accuracy through multi-sensor fusion techniques.
- Design and optimize real-time sensor data processing pipelines for deployment in autonomous systems.
- Lead integration efforts with software, autonomy, and hardware teams to ensure high-performance state estimation.
- Conduct simulation, experimentation, and field testing to validate algorithm performance.
- Stay at the forefront of sensor fusion and estimation techniques, applying new advancements to Shield AI’s UAV platforms.
- Other duties as assigned
Required qualifications:
- Typically requires 7+ years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years with a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- Strong experience developing and deploying real-time sensor processing algorithms with IMUs, radar, cameras, GPS, and other sensors.
- Expertise in state estimation techniques, such as Kalman filters (EKF, UKF), particle filters, and sensor fusion methods.
- Proficiency in C++ (C++11 or newer) and experience working in Linux environments.
- Strong debugging, optimization, and software development skills for embedded or real-time systems.
- Ability to work in cross-functional teams and lead technical efforts for sensor fusion solutions.
- Proven ability to deliver high-quality solutions in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience implementing inertial navigation and visual-inertial odometry algorithms on real-time systems.
- Strong understanding of computer vision and its integration with state estimation.
- Experience optimizing algorithms for compute-constrained environments.
- Familiarity with CUDA, FPGAs, or other hardware acceleration for real-time processing.
- Experience with transitioning technology from R&D to production deployment
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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.
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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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