Staff Software Engineer – Autonomous Pilot Integration

About the role

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to develop and field autonomy software for unmanned platforms across air, maritime, space, and effects domains. You will own end‑to‑end integration from software‑in‑the‑loop to live test exercises, working closely with autonomy, perception, and external platform teams.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, integrate, and deploy autonomy software on unmanned platforms, including payload bring‑up and container‑based deployment (k3s/k3d).
• Lead a small feature crew or sub‑program, set technical direction, break down work, and report progress.
• Collaborate with Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and external partners; author and negotiate interface control documents (ICDs).
• Mentor mid‑level engineers, onboard senior hires, and participate in hiring decisions.
• Drive design reviews, post‑mortems, and improve rigor across teams.
• Own build, configuration, and validation for mission‑ready systems and coordinate release cadence.
• Travel to test sites (10‑20% of the year) to support live missions, safety checks, and troubleshooting.
• Diagnose integration issues across autonomy stacks, payload computers, and embedded systems in lab and field environments.

Required profile

• BS/MS in Computer Science, EE, Mechanical, Aerospace, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 7 years of relevant experience (or 5 years with a Master’s, 4 with a PhD).
• Proficiency in C++ and Linux‑based development, including embedded systems and shell scripting.
• Experience with real‑time or latency‑sensitive systems and middleware/pub‑sub frameworks (e.g., DDS, message buses).
• Hands‑on support of demos, exercises, or field tests for unmanned/autonomous systems.
• Proven ability to lead a small technical team from design through field delivery.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and authoring/negotiating ICDs.
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Required skills

• C++
• Linux development
• Embedded systems
• Shell scripting
• System diagnostics
• DDS or other pub‑sub/IPC frameworks
• Container deployment (k3s, k3d)
• Python (for scripting and analysis)
• Autonomy simulation environments
• ICD authoring and negotiation
• C2 standards (A‑GRA, UCI, OMS)