Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Behaviors (R4588)

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. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

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.

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

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

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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