Senior Software Engineer - Autonomy Behaviors

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The Autonomy Capabilities Team develops functionality to automate single- and multi-agent teams of platforms in pursuit of mission objectives and acts as a central discipline-aligned focal-point for encouraging consistent usage of technical approaches across business portfolios.  This team operates at all levels of the command-and-control hierarchy (from advanced control laws, through motion planning, and up to advanced tactical behaviors and multi-agent coordination) and across a multitude of mission sets, platform types, and operational domains (e.g., air, sea, space).  The team puts a strong emphasis on both fundamentals (e.g., aircraft kinematics/dynamics, trajectory design, optimization, information fusion, efficient algorithms, etc.) and software integration skillsets (e.g. structures, protocols, threading, interface management, etc.) to bring market-differentiating capabilities to customers that seamlessly operate within their integration contexts. 

This position is perfect for an individual who enjoys solving complex problems across a diverse set of programs and integration contexts. An ideal candidate is expected to address operational system needs through a multitude of advanced methodologies that blend traditional control system approaches with advanced optimization. Developed solutions are expected to be integrated into real-world platforms with near-term program impacts and rewards and so balancing theory with practice and rigorous implementation is paramount.  

What You'll Do:

• Develop tactical autonomy software to enable unmanned platforms to perform complex missions across air, land, sea, and space domains with limited human supervision

• Implement and test behaviors supporting multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios

• Contribute across the software development lifecycle, including requirements, design, implementation, verification, and validation, following established engineering best practices

• Collaborate with senior engineers to design and build scalable, maintainable software components that integrate with broader system architecture (e.g., sensor processing, state estimation, communications, and actuation)

• Support reuse and extensibility of autonomy behaviors by contributing to shared frameworks and codebases

• Work with internal product and program teams to deliver capabilities to vehicle platforms, helping ensure successful integration and iteration over time

• Collaborate with cross-functional and external teams to align on interfaces and system requirements

• Apply strong software engineering fundamentals to solve complex technical problems, while continuing to grow domain expertise in autonomy and robotics systems

• Travel up to 20% to support integration, testing, and collaboration with end-users and partner teams

Required Qualifications:

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

• Proficient in production-level C++ software development

• 5+ years' experience in one or more of the following: 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:

• Experience working with systems at one or more technology readiness levels (TRLs), including supporting the maturation of research concepts toward operational use

• Experience with mission systems integration, including participation in integration events, testing, or demonstrations

• Experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Collaborative mission planning, behavior planning, or coordinated teaming

• Motion planning across different vehicle types or constraints

• Sensor/target pairing, control strategies, or related autonomy functions

• Safety systems such as collision avoidance or geofencing

• Experience with robotic software ecosystems (e.g., ROS, OMPL, optimization tools)

• Experience with simulation tools for testing and validation

• Familiarity with navigation and communications systems

• Experience contributing to portions of the product development lifecycle

• Familiarity with systems engineering principles

• Familiarity with high-assurance software practices (e.g., DO-178C or similar standards)

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Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.