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 lead the technical delivery of complex autonomy capabilities across Emerging Domains, helping establish first-of-their-kind autonomy solutions for new platforms and mission areas. You'll own challenging integration efforts, influence technical direction across multiple subsystems, and work closely with platform teams and cross-functional engineering organizations to transition early R&D efforts into scalable, operational capabilities.
What You'll Do:
Stand Up New Programs – Lead technical efforts to establish autonomy on new platforms, determining how best to leverage existing Shield AI capabilities while developing new platform-specific solutions.
Navigate Ambiguity & Shifting Priorities – Operate effectively as programs evolve, adapting technical plans, balancing competing priorities, and maintaining engineering momentum through changing customer and program requirements.
Develop & Field Autonomy – Lead development and integration of autonomy software across emerging-domain platforms, including platform interfaces, payload integration, mission autonomy, and operational deployment.
Technical Leadership – Lead feature crews or major integration efforts, mentor engineers, remove technical obstacles, and drive delivery of complex capabilities.
Platform Team Partnerships – Serve as a primary technical partner to platform engineering teams while coordinating interface evolution, hardware/software compatibility, and mission readiness.
Collaboration Across Teams & Partners – Coordinate closely with Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, feature crews, customer/program offices, and external partners to deliver integrated autonomy solutions.
Design & Documentation – Lead design reviews, architecture discussions, ICD development, and engineering improvements across multiple efforts.
Pre-deployment Preparation – Drive validation, release readiness, hardware/software integration, and mission preparation for operational deployments.
On-site Test & Mission Support – Provide technical leadership during live testing, demonstrations, and operational events across air, maritime, space, and emerging platforms.
Hardware/Software Debugging – Lead root-cause analysis across complex autonomy stacks, embedded systems, and platform interfaces.
Mission Data & Debrief Support – Drive post-mission analysis and coordinate engineering improvements based on operational results.
Continuous Improvement – Improve engineering processes, testing infrastructure, integration workflows, and deployment efficiency.
C2 Interoperability & Standards – Drive implementation of command-and-control interfaces and interoperability standards appropriate for each platform.
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 7+ years of relevant experience.
Expert C++ and Linux development experience.
Experience leading complex autonomy or systems integration efforts.
Experience influencing technical direction across engineering teams.
Experience operating successfully in ambiguous or rapidly evolving technical environments.
Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience standing up autonomy on new platforms.
Experience with autonomous aircraft, maritime, or space systems.
Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives.
Experience with military test events or customer deployments.
Experience with UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, or comparable interoperability standards.
Skills Required
- BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent practical experience
- Typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience
- Expert C++ development experience
- Expert Linux development experience
- Experience leading complex autonomy or systems integration efforts
- Experience influencing technical direction across engineering teams
- Experience operating successfully in ambiguous or rapidly evolving technical environments
- Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance
- Experience standing up autonomy on new platforms
- Experience with autonomous aircraft, maritime, or space systems
- Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives
- Experience with military test events or customer deployments
- Experience with UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, or comparable 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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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
