C++
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 https://shield.ai/. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai, X https://x.com/shieldaitech, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shield_ai, and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Shield_AI.
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:
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- 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:
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- 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:
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- 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 employmen