Manager of Engineering - Autonomous Pilot Integration - Emerging Domains (R5176)

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, maritime, and contested logistics. As the Manager of Engineering, you will lead a team of autonomy engineers tackling autonomy across Shield AI's emerging-domain efforts.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the Team , Manage an engineering team; own performance, growth, leveling, and delivery; run 1:1s, performance reviews, and team rituals.
• Grow the Team via Hiring , Drive hiring for your area; identify the skills you need, partner with recruiting, run interviews, set the bar, and personally close strong candidates.
• Grow Engineers Technically , Mentor engineers through hard problems; create stretch opportunities; give direct, actionable technical feedback; help engineers level up in both skill and impact.
• Stand Up New Programs , Stand up autonomy on new platforms and missions; define what the autonomy stack looks like, decide what to build versus what to leverage from existing Shield AI capabilities, and set the technical direction for the effort.
• Navigate Ambiguity & Shifting Priorities , Operate effectively in an environment where program shape, scope, and timeline often shift.
• Develop & Field Autonomy , Develop & integrate autonomy software solutions onto emerging-domain platforms.
• 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.
• Hands-on Technical Contribution , Stay active in the code; contribute directly where it serves the team.
• Platform Team Partnerships , Build strong partnerships with each platform team that owns the underlying hardware.
• Collaboration Across Teams & Partners , Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and GCS teams, feature crews, and customer/program offices.
• 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, customer exercises, and demonstrations to 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 compliance against common message and open-systems standards.
• Grow R&D into Programs , Work with leadership and customers to evolve successful short-term R&D efforts into larger, longer-term programs.

Requirements:

• 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.
• 2+ years of direct people-management experience.
• Demonstrated experience building or growing an engineering team.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and growing their technical skill and career trajectory.
• Demonstrated experience leading a small technical team or owning a major capability from design through field delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity.
• Experience standing up autonomy on a new platform or for a new mission type.
• Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts / ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
• Direct experience with autonomous unmanned systems.
• Strong proficiency in C++.
• Proficiency in Linux-based development and experience working with embedded systems.
• 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.
• 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.