Staff Software Engineer – Autonomy Behaviors

About the role

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the development of autonomy behaviors for unmanned platforms across air, land, sea and space. The role blends advanced control theory, optimization and software integration to deliver mission‑critical capabilities that operate on real‑world vehicles.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement tactical autonomy software enabling multi‑agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance and survivability in contested environments.
• Own the full software development lifecycle—from requirements capture through design, implementation, verification and validation—using collaborative high‑quality development tools.
• Architect behavior subsystems that integrate with sensor processing, state estimation, communications, actuation and payload interfaces.
• Collaborate with internal product teams and external vehicle integration groups, including pilots and UAV operators, to deliver capabilities to platforms.
• Travel up to 20 % of the time to co‑locate with end‑users or partner teams.

Required profile

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace, Electrical, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in C++ production‑level development and in areas such as behavior planning, motion planning, optimization or flight controls.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, set technical direction and manage projects from concept to deployment.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.
• Strong desire to work in a fast‑paced, mission‑centric environment.

Required skills

• Production‑level C++ development.
• Version control, issue tracking, code review and release management tools.
• Behavior planning, motion planning, optimization and flight‑control algorithms.
• Experience with ROS, OMPL and common optimization solvers.
• Use of simulation environments such as AFSIM or NGTS.
• Familiarity with high‑assurance software processes (e.g., DO‑178C, MIL‑STD).