# Staff Engineer, Autonomy - Tactical Behaviours

**Company**: Shield AI
**Location**: Washington, DC / Boston, MA / San Diego, California
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: staff
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $182,720 - $274,080 per year
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/9c66691e-4497-4a25-8fe8-c9fdf09046ea
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_6eae2a86-95b

## Description

This role is perfect for an individual who enjoys solving complex problems across diverse domains and modalities. As a Staff Engineer, Autonomy - Tactical Behaviours, you will design tactical autonomy algorithms to enable unmanned aircraft to perform complex missions across air, land, and sea domains with minimal human supervision.

Key responsibilities include:
Designing tactical autonomy algorithms to enable unmanned aircraft to perform complex missions
Developing high-performance software modules that incorporate planning, decision-making, and behaviour execution strategies
Implementing and testing behaviour architectures that enable multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios
Working at the intersection of classical autonomy and machine learning, blending rule-based systems with learning-based methods
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of autonomy solutions on real-world platforms
Deploying autonomy capabilities to real platforms and participating in field tests and flight demos
Analyzing mission logs and performance data to diagnose failures, optimize behaviour models, and inform iterative development
Contributing to the autonomy roadmap by researching and prototyping new algorithms, identifying tactical capability gaps, and proposing novel solutions
Supporting defence-focused programs and customer needs by adapting autonomy solutions to evolving mission sets, compliance requirements, and operational feedback

Required qualifications include:
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 programming languages such as C++ and Python, and familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS)
Significant background in robotics technologies related to motion planning, behaviour modelling, decision-making, or autonomous system design
Significant experience with unmanned system technologies and accompanying algorithms (specifically air domain)
Experience with simulation tools and environments (e.g., AFSIM, NGTS) for testing and validation
Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and optimise system performance
Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance

Preferred qualifications include:
Experience applying ML/RL techniques in autonomy pipelines
Background in collaborative behaviours, swarm robotics, or distributed decision-making
Familiarity with tactical behaviours for unmanned systems in DoD or government programs
Work on behaviours applicable across air, ground, and maritime vehicles
Hands-on experience supporting flight demos or live exercises
Experience with UCI and OMS Standards

The salary range for this role is $182,720 - $274,080 per year.

## Skills

### Required
- C++
- Python
- Real-time operating systems (RTOS)
- Motion planning
- Behaviour modelling
- Decision-making
- Autonomous system design
- Unmanned system technologies
- Simulation tools and environments
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Teamwork
- SECRET clearance

### Nice to have
- ML/RL techniques
- Collaborative behaviours
- Swarm robotics
- Distributed decision-making
- Tactical behaviours
- UCI and OMS Standards