Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5395)

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

The Autonomous Pilot Integration team builds autonomy solutions for a wide range of CONOPs and mission sets. As a Staff Software Engineer, you will write new autonomy code, own it end-to-end, and serve as a technical leader within the team.

What You'll Do:

• Develop & Field Autonomy , Develop & integrate autonomy software solutions onto unmanned platforms, including payload computer bring-up, container-based deployment, and configuration across onboard compute, sensors, and command-and-control interfaces.
• Technical Leadership , Lead a small feature crew or sub-program, set technical direction, break down work, unblock the team, and report progress to leadership and stakeholders.
• Collaboration Across Teams , Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, the Perception team, feature crews, and external partners.
• Mentorship & Growth , Mentor mid-level engineers on the team, partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning.
• Design & Documentation , Drive design reviews, ICDs, and post-mortems for your area.
• Pre-deployment Preparation , Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready systems.
• On-site Test & Mission Support , Travel to test sites and support live mission operations.
• Hardware/Software Debugging , Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex autonomy stacks, payload computers, and embedded systems.
• Mission Data & Debrief Support , Capture mission and test data, reproduce issues in simulation, and partner with autonomy capability owners to drive fixes back into the next build.
• Continuous Improvement , Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines, test/mission reliability, and team efficiency across deployment cycles.
• C2 Interoperability & Standards , Own the interface contracts with C2 providers and drive standards compliance for your area.
• Hiring , Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub-program.

Required Qualifications:

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 5 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• Proficiency in C++, with experience developing or integrating real-time or latency-sensitive systems.
• Proficiency in Linux-based development and experience working with embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics.
• Familiarity with middleware, pub-sub, or IPC frameworks used in autonomy or robotics systems.
• Hands-on experience supporting demos, exercises, or field/mission tests for unmanned or autonomous systems.
• Experience with autonomy simulation environments for testing and validation.
• Demonstrated experience leading a small technical team or owning a major capability from design through field delivery.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and growing technical talent.
• Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts / ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance across the full stack.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience supporting unmanned systems or similar field test campaigns.
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, automation, and analysis.
• Experience leading a feature crew, sub-program, or small team in an unmanned systems context.
• Experience owning customer- or partner-facing technical relationships.
• Track record of cross-team improvements.
• Familiarity with autonomy stacks, motion planning, or vehicle-control integration.
• Competence in vehicle electronics bring-up, payload computer integration, or hardware-in-the-loop debugging.
• Experience with container orchestration on embedded or payload compute.
• Familiarity with platform control / autopilot stacks.
• Proficiency in developing automation tools for system testing, logging, and data parsing.
• Build-system experience and CI/CD pipeline familiarity.
• Comfortable interfacing with DoD stakeholders during field events or technical reviews.
• Experience with C2 standards.
• Familiarity with government-furnished simulation environments.