Senior Software Engineer – Autonomy Behaviors

About the role

Shield AI is seeking a senior software engineer to develop tactical autonomy software that enables unmanned platforms to execute complex missions across air, land, sea, and space with minimal human supervision. The role blends advanced control theory, optimization, and robust software integration to deliver market‑differentiating capabilities.

Key responsibilities

• Develop autonomy software for multi‑domain missions, including target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability.
• Implement and test multi‑agent coordination behaviors in contested scenarios.
• Contribute across the full software development lifecycle: requirements, design, implementation, verification, and validation.
• Collaborate with senior engineers to build scalable, maintainable components that integrate with sensor processing, state estimation, communications, and actuation systems.
• Support reuse and extensibility of autonomy behaviors by contributing to shared frameworks and codebases.
• Travel up to 20% to assist with integration, testing, and collaboration with end‑users and partner teams.

Required profile

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in software sub‑system scheduling, behavior planning, motion planning, optimization, or flight controls.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.
• Proven ability to work in fast‑paced, mission‑driven environments and collaborate within multidisciplinary teams.

Required skills

• Production‑level C++ development.
• Experience with collaborative development tools (version control, issue tracking, code reviews, release management).
• Software integration expertise, including threading, interface management, and protocol handling.