Full-Time
Manager – Autonomy Applications Engineering
Posted on 10/31/2025
Shield AI
1,001-5,000 employees
Develops AI-powered autonomous defense drone systems
Compensation Overview
$163.5k - $245.2k/yr
Washington, DC, USA
In Person
Requires ~10% travel to other Shield AI sites.
 Engineering Management (1) |
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- Experience developing software for mobile robot / autonomy applications
- Experience in the defense aviation or robotics industry
- Experience building and running a 57-person enterprise software applications/solutions engineering team
- Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelors degree; or 6 years and a Masters degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- Serve as the functional team lead for a team of customer facing applications engineers
- Guide, mentor, and develop a team of applications engineers to provide expert support and troubleshooting for customers
- Manage, prioritize and delegate customer issues
- Support BD in pre-sales and post-sales activities as a technical resource
- Ensure timely and effective technical assistance, troubleshooting, and onboarding support for customers implementing the SDK
- Maintain a deep understanding of the SDKs features, updates, and use cases to guide the team and assist customers
- Oversee and contribute to the creation and continuous improvement of technical resources, such as user guides, FAQs, and knowledge bases
- Act as an escalation point for complex customer issues and provide hands-on support when necessary
- Coordinate closely with product development, sales, and customer success teams to ensure customer feedback informs SDK improvements and new features
- Act as a liaison between customers and internal teams to advocate for customer needs and communicate product updates
- Develop and grow your teammates through mentorship and training
- Set performance goals, conduct regular evaluations, and foster a collaborative team environment
- Develop and refine support processes to improve team efficiency, customer satisfaction, and response times.
- Track and report on key metrics related to customer engagement, issue resolution, and team performance to stakeholders.
- Conduct minimal travel (~10%) to other Shield AI sites for demos, team offsites, etc.
Shield AI builds AI-powered autonomous systems for defense, focusing on drones and related technologies that can operate without GPS or communications. Its products include autonomous drones and AI software that can sense, plan, and act in complex environments to support military operations while keeping people safe. The company differentiates itself through defense-grade autonomy capabilities, the ability to operate in GPS-denied areas, and a strategic footprint that includes acquisitions (e.g., Martin UAV) and prime roles on large government contracts like the EWAAC program. Its goal is to improve safety and mission effectiveness for defense users by delivering reliable, scalable autonomous systems under government contracts and partnerships.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Late Stage VC
Total Funding
$3.3B
Headquarters
San Diego, California
Founded
2015
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- CCA program deployment 2027–2028 unlocks $50B+ autonomous fighter market opportunity.
- Hivemind Foundation Model trained on classified JSE data accelerates competitive moat.
- V-BAT and Nova platforms generating steady revenue from U.S. and allied operations.
What critics are saying
- Aechelon integration failure delays Hivemind 12–24 months, ceding market to Palantir.
- F-16 airworthiness certification delays push CCA deployment beyond 2028 window.
- CFIUS blocks Aechelon acquisition, forcing 18–24 month in-house simulation rebuild.
What makes Shield AI unique
- Hivemind is only combat-deployed AI pilot since 2018 across multiple platforms.
- Aechelon acquisition integrates high-fidelity simulation with autonomy software in-house.
- Selected as mission autonomy provider for U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
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Benefits
Medical Insurance Coverage
Long Term Disability Insurance
Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA
Employee Assistance Program
Subsidized Gym Membership
Pet Insurance
Competitive Compensation
Retirement Services
Life Insurance
Parental Leave
Bereavement Support
Flexible Work Hours
PTO
Paid Holidays
Commuter Benefits
Relaxed Dress Code
Yearly Swag Items
Unlimited Snacks
Bottomless Beverages
Annual Celebrations
Work From Home Benefits
Standing Desks and Widescreen Monitors
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -1%2 year growth
↓ -2%$1.5B raise backs AI autonomy and simulation acquisition. 8 April 2026 Shield AI has announced $1.5 billion in Series G funding, part of which will go towards acquiring Aechelon Technology Inc, a defence software company that specialises in high-fidelity simulation, physics-based sensors and synthetic reality. Aechelon's technology creates the virtual environments used by the U.S. military and allies to train aircrew and test aircraft and autonomous systems before live flight, including support for the Pentagon's Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). Shield AI develops Hivemind, an AI autonomy software that operates military vehicles including F-16s, jet-powered UAVs and helicopters. By acquiring Aechelon, Shield AI brings simulation capability in-house to train and refine Hivemind more effectively. "The acquisition of Aechelon will accelerate the work we are doing with Hivemind, particularly in simulation like the Department of War's JSE," said Shield AI CEO Gary Steele. "It will also help advance our Hivemind Foundation Model for Defense, which is trained in simulation and continuously refined through real-world operations." Hivemind was recently selected by the U.S. Air Force as a mission autonomy provider for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The $1.5 billion Series G values Shield AI at $12.7 billion and is led by Advent International, co-led by JPMorganChase's Security and Resiliency Initiative, with participation from Snowpoint Ventures, InnovationX and Riot Ventures. Funds managed by Blackstone are separately providing $500 million in preferred equity financing, plus a $250 million delayed draw facility. The Aechelon acquisition is expected to close following regulatory approvals. FREE NEWSLETTERS The world's leading authority of safety training news! Civil Aviation Training - Military Simulation & Training - Safety Critical Training
Shield AI raises $2 billion; acquiring software simulation company Aechelon to strengthen AI pilot. Thursday, March 26th, 2026 Shield AI on Thursday said it has raised $2 billion in new funding, including a $1.5 billion Series G round to buy defense software firm Aechelon and continue development of Shield AI's new jet fighter drone. The Series G round was co-led by the global private equity firm Advent International and the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase. Blackstone is also investing $500 million of preferred equity financing, bringing Shield AI's total raise to $2 billion. X-BAT is Shield AI's vertical... Not a subscriber or registered user yet? Please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.
Shield AI draws $2bn in funding as PE sharpens its focus on defensetech. Private equity firms are deepening their bets on the defense technology sector, with a cluster of deals this week underscoring the sector's pull on institutional capital. Advent International has committed up to $1 billion to invest in defense technology companies, starting with a co-lead role in Shield AI's $1.5 billion Series G funding round. Separately, [...] Get the whole story. AW Monthly $39 / Month - Instantly unlock all new and archived articles - Access to AW Research articles & data - Daily, weekly and monthly e-mail newsletters $390 / Year - Everything in Monthly at a 20% discount - Access to AW Research data downloads and annual Manager/Investor Compendiums - Discounts on advertisement rates
Shield AI, builds self-driving technology that enables swarms of unmanned systems to operate on the edge without gps, communications, or remote pilots. Here you'll find information about their funding, investors and team.
SAN DIEGO – March 26, 2026 – Shield AI today announced it is raising $1.5 billion in Series G funding at a $12.7 billion post-money valuation and $500 million in fixed-return preferred equity financing. The Series G is led by Advent International and co-led by the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase’s Security and Resiliency Initiative, […]