Software Engineer II, Autonomy Behaviors (R4587)

Shield AI is seeking a Software Engineer II to join the Autonomy Capabilities team. The engineer will help build and test autonomy behaviors for unmanned systems, working closely with experienced engineers.

Responsibilities

• Implement tactical autonomy software features for unmanned platforms across air, land, sea, and space domains.
• Develop and test behaviors supporting coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios.
• Participate in the software development lifecycle, including implementation, testing, debugging, and verification and validation efforts.
• Collaborate with senior engineers to integrate software components with broader system elements.
• Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code following established engineering standards.
• Support integration and testing across simulation and real-world environments.
• Work with cross-functional teams to understand requirements and support successful feature delivery.
• Continue building expertise in software engineering, autonomy, and robotics systems.
• Travel up to 20% to support testing, integration, and collaboration with partner teams.

Requirements

• BS in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in production-level C++ software development.
• 2-3 years of experience in software sub-system scheduling and integration, behavior planning, task and resource allocation, motion planning, optimization, or flight controls.
• Experience with collaborative software development tools for version control, issue tracking, code reviews, release management.
• Ability to contribute to the design, development, and integration of complex software systems as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to learn new technologies in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to collaborate closely with teammates and support team objectives.
• Interest in growing technical skills and, over time, providing guidance to more junior engineers.
• Desire to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, and mission-driven environment.
• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to systems operating at different technology readiness levels (TRLs).
• Experience in the delivery of a military mission system.
• Familiarity with mission systems integration concepts, testing, or demonstrations.
• Experience in motion planning, behavior planning, or multi-agent coordination.
• Exposure to autonomy, control, or decision-making systems.
• Familiarity with robotic software tools (e.g., ROS, OMPL).
• Experience using simulation environments for development or testing.
• Basic understanding of navigation and/or communications systems.
• Awareness of the software or systems development lifecycle.
• Familiarity with systems engineering fundamentals.
• Exposure to high-assurance or safety-critical software concepts.