Principal Designer (R5250)
Job Description:
The Special Projects team at Shield AI is an elite force within the office of the CTO. It consists of a group of very senior (L5-L8) and highly experienced software engineering experts from diverse fields (aerospace, robotics, cloud infrastructure, game development, interactive media design, ...). The charter of this group is to steer technology development towards strategic alignment with the CTO's vision, through tactical insertion into teams and technologies across the organization. Individuals within this team make direct and at times forward-sprinting contributions to all three pillars of Hivemind, Shield AI's software ecosystem for developing and deploying resilient intelligent teaming for aircrafts. Hivemind consists of four products: EdgeOS (C++ based high-performance middleware for autonomy development), Pilot (autonomy for the edge built atop EdgeOS; a models-based, modular and open architecture C++ codebase), Forge (Shield AI's AI Factory for the design, development, and testing of Hivemind Edge systems; a service-oriented architecture leveraged through an SDK, CLI, and web portal; a Go, Python, Typescript codebase), Commander (Software and hardware to support rich human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop interactions with the Hivemind; a C++-based back-end for interaction with Pilot; and a web-application UI for mission planning, command and control by operators implemented in a Typescript/React codebase).
The Special Projects team is chartered to operate effectively within ambiguity. While this team does not own any software products, it tactically and strategically impacts the development of all foundational Hivemind products and leverages those technologies to rapidly deliver low-TRL solutions. This work happens shoulder-to-shoulder with the product teams in some cases, and in a forward-sprinting manner within the Special Projects team in other cases. The result is direct contribution to products in the former case, and development of reference implementations in the latter. The Special Projects team also functions as a pipeline for product and solution engineering teams across the organization. Individuals who enter the Special Projects team rapidly gain depth and breadth in their understanding of the Hivemind software ecosystem. This positions them well for leading technology development effort across the product and solution organization.
Principal Technical Product Manager (R5249)
Job Description:
The Special Projects team at Shield AI is an elite force within the office of the CTO. It consists of a group of very senior (L5-L8) and highly experienced software engineering experts from diverse fields (aerospace, robotics, cloud infrastructure, game development, interactive media design, ...). The charter of this group is to steer technology development towards strategic alignment with the CTO's vision, through tactical insertion into teams and technologies across the organization. Individuals within this team make direct and at times forward-sprinting contributions to all three pillars of Hivemind, Shield AI's software ecosystem for developing and deploying resilient intelligent teaming for aircrafts. Hivemind consists of four products: EdgeOS (C++ based high-performance middleware for autonomy development), Pilot (autonomy for the edge built atop EdgeOS; a models-based, modular and open architecture C++ codebase), Forge (Shield AI's AI Factory for the design, development, and testing of Hivemind Edge systems; a service-oriented architecture leveraged through an SDK, CLI, and web portal; a Go, Python, Typescript codebase), Commander (Software and hardware to support rich human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop interactions with the Hivemind; a C++-based back-end for interaction with Pilot; and a web-application UI for mission planning, command and control by operators implemented in a Typescript/React codebase).
The Special Projects team is chartered to operate effectively within ambiguity. While this team does not own any software products, it tactically and strategically impacts the development of all foundational Hivemind products and leverages those technologies to rapidly deliver low-TRL solutions. This work happens shoulder-to-shoulder with the product teams in some cases, and in a forward-sprinting manner within the Special Projects team in other cases. The result is direct contribution to products in the former case, and development of reference implementations in the latter. The Special Projects team also functions as a pipeline for product and solution engineering teams across the organization. Individuals who enter the Special Projects team rapidly gain depth and breadth in their understanding of the Hivemind software ecosystem. This positions them well for leading technology development effort across the product and solution organization.
Staff Engineer, Software, GCS - C++ (R5189)
Manager of Engineering - Autonomous Pilot Integration - Emerging Domains (R5176)
Manager of Engineering - Autonomous Pilot Integration - Expeditionary (R5175)
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.
Job Description:
The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT — an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware — for U.S. and international defense customers. Our engineers write new autonomy code — such as mission behaviors, platform-specific control (including VTOL transitions), multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy — and own it end-to-end from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live test exercise.
In this role, you'll lead a team of autonomy engineers focused primarily on Hivemind on V-BAT, with growing scope on Hivemind on X-BAT — owning their delivery, their growth, and the technical health of your area. A core part of the job is growing the team: hiring strong engineers, mentoring them through hard technical work, and shaping their career development. You'll stay technically active — writing code where it best serves the team, staying close to the integration work, making sound technical decisions, and leading them through the design, development, and delivery of a major capability or program. A defining part of this role is working in extreme partnership with the aircraft team that builds and maintains V-BAT and X-BAT — the relationship and tight coordination with them is critical to your team's success. You'll also partner closely with the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and GCS teams, feature crews, customer/program offices, the operator community that flies V-BAT today, and prospective customers for X-BAT as the new platform matures. This portfolio has a strong fielded-operator culture — long-endurance ISR missions, customer-driven workflow iteration, and demanding live exercises across multiple U.S. and international services — and you'll set the pace for your team accordingly.
\n- Lead the Team — Manage a small-to-mid-sized engineering team (typically 5–10 engineers); own performance, growth, leveling, and delivery; run 1:1s, performance reviews, and team rituals.
- Grow the Team via Hiring — Drive hiring for your area: identify the skills you need, partner with recruiting, run interviews, set the bar, and personally close strong candidates.
- Grow Engineers Technically — Mentor engineers through hard problems; create stretch opportunities; give direct, actionable technical feedback; help engineers level up in both skill and impact.
- Aircraft Team Partnership — Maintain an exceptionally close, daily working relationship with the aircraft team that builds and maintains V-BAT — coordinating continuously on platform changes, autopilot interface evolution, sensor integration, hardware/software compatibility, and release planning. For X-BAT, work closely with the aircraft team to define and integrate the flight-autonomy interface. The success of this role depends heavily on these partnerships.
- Develop & Field Autonomy — Develop & integrate autonomy software solutions onto V-BAT, including payload and sensor integration (e.g., payload computer bring-up, ViDAR, EO/IR), integration with the custom V-BAT autopilot and its control modes (e.g., HSA, waypoint), multi-agent coordination, and customer release cadence — and lead a small team through the design, development, and delivery of a major capability or program.
- Technical Leadership — Lead a small feature crew or sub-program; set technical direction, break down work, unblock the team, and report progress to leadership and stakeholders.
- Hands-on Technical Contribution — Stay active in the code; contribute directly where it serves the team — prototyping new capabilities, taking on deep technical analysis of hard problems, or absorbing critical work during demo crunch. This is a manager role, not a managing-only role.
- Collaboration Across Teams & Partners — Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team, the GCS team, feature crews, the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio (whose existing mission autonomy solution underpins X-BAT), and customer/program offices (U.S. and international services); author and negotiate ICDs and interface contracts rather than just consume them.
- Design & Documentation — Drive design reviews, ICDs, and post-mortems for your area; push the team toward higher rigor and close process gaps that span teams.
- Pre-deployment Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready systems and customer releases; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, mission readiness, release cadence, and operator-facing workflow validation with capability and feature teams.
- On-site Test & Mission Support — Travel to test sites, customer exercises, and operator training/deployment events to support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, multi-agent live events, customer demonstrations, and fielded operator support), including safety checks, system bring-up, and troubleshooting under time-critical constraints.
- Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex autonomy stacks, payload computers, and embedded systems in lab and field environments — including memory, CPU, and timing profiling under operationally-representative loads.
- Mission Data & Debrief Support — Capture mission and test data, reproduce issues in simulation, and partner with autonomy capability owners to drive fixes back into the next build.
- Continuous Improvement — Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines, test/mission reliability, and team efficiency across deployment cycles.
- C2 Interoperability & Standards — Own the interface contracts with GCS and C2 providers and drive compliance against common message and open-systems standards (e.g., STANAG 4586, UCI, OMS).
- Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 20-30% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, operator training and deployment events, and integration events).
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience
- Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 5 years and a Master's degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- 2+ years of direct people-management experience (running 1:1s, performance reviews, hiring decisions, growth planning).
- Demonstrated experience building or growing an engineering team — including interviewing, hiring, and onboarding new engineers.
- Track record of mentoring engineers and growing their technical skill and career trajectory.
- Demonstrated experience leading a small technical team or owning a major capability from design through field delivery.
- Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts / ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
- Direct experience with Group 3 unmanned aircraft, VTOL platforms, or comparable medium-sized unmanned systems.
- Experience with multi-agent autonomy.
- Strong proficiency in C++, with experience developing or integrating real-time or latency-sensitive systems.
- Proficiency in Linux-based development and experience working with embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics.
- Familiarity with middleware, pub-sub, or IPC frameworks used in autonomy or robotics systems (e.g., DDS, message buses).
- Hands-on experience supporting live exercises, customer demonstrations, or operational test events for medium unmanned aircraft or fielded autonomous systems.
- Experience with autonomy simulation environments for testing and validation.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance across the full stack.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
- Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
- Direct experience integrating autonomy with custom or in-house autopilot stacks at the platform integration level.
- Experience integrating autonomy with VTOL or hybrid-mode aircraft across multiple control interfaces (e.g., high-level state, waypoint).
- Experience with EO/IR or ViDAR-class sensor integration.
- Experience with long-endurance ISR mission profiles.
- Proficiency in Python for scripting, automation, and analysis.
- Experience leading a feature crew, sub-program, or small team in an unmanned systems context.
- Experience growing engineers from mid-level into senior IC, or supporting promotion decisions through a leveling framework.
- Experience deploying autonomy onto fielded, customer-operated platforms — including operator workflow iteration, release cadence, and customer feedback loops.
- Experience iterating directly with fielded military operators or training cadres.
- Experience supporting international defense customer programs (FMS or direct commercial sales).
- Experience owning customer- or partner-facing technical relationships (e.g., autopilot teams, GCS teams, government program offices).
- Track record of cross-team improvements (process, rigor, documentation, or developer experience).
- Familiarity with autonomy stacks, motion planning, or vehicle-control integration.
- Competence in avionics bring-up, payload computer integration, or hardware-in-the-loop debugging.
- Experience developing for or deploying onto ARM-based systems (e.g., embedded payload computers).
- Experience with containerization (e.g., Docker) on embedded or payload compute.
- Proficiency in developing automation tools for system testing, logging, and data parsing.
- Experience developing custom GCS or mission planning surfaces (e.g., TypeScript / web-based applications).
- Build-system experience (e.g., Conan, CMake) and CI/CD pipeline familiarity.
- Comfortable interfacing with DoD stakeholders during field events or technical reviews.
- Experience with common message and open-systems standards such as STANAG 4586, UCI, or OMS.
#LI-ED1
#LD
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 employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
###
Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Senior Engineer, Structural Analysis (R5173)
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.
Job Description:
Shield AI is seeking a Structural Analyst to support the structural analysis and testing of advanced UAVs. In this role, you will work closely with Mechanical, Systems, Propulsion, and Aerospace Engineers to ensure the structural integrity of our lightweight, high-performance aircraft. You will contribute to the design, analysis, testing, and optimization of airframe structures and components, ensuring they meet performance, weight, and safety requirements.
This role is ideal for engineers with 5+ years of experience looking to gain expertise in finite element analysis (FEA), composite materials, mechanical testing, and aircraft loads analysis in a fast-paced, high-tech aerospace environment.
\n- Assist in building and refining finite element models (FEM) to evaluate the structural performance of UAV components.
- Perform static, modal, fatigue, and vibration analyses to assess stress, deformation, and durability.
- Conduct hand calculations to validate FEA results, ensuring accuracy and structural reliability.
- Work with design engineers to optimize airframe structures, balancing weight, strength, and manufacturability.
- Support the development of test plans for structural validation, including quasi-static, vibration, and shock testing.
- Analyze flight telemetry and structural test data to improve modeling accuracy and correlate predictions with real-world performance.
- Assist in defining load cases, material properties, and design margins for UAV airframe and mechanical components.
- Document and present structural analysis reports and technical recommendations to engineering teams.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure structural requirements align with system performance goals.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of structural analysis methodologies, tools, and best practices.
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience in structural analysis, finite element modeling, or aircraft loads analysis.
- Experience with FEA tools (ANSYS, NASTRAN, HyperWorks, or similar).
- Strong ability to perform hand calculations for structural strength, stability, and fatigue analysis.
- Knowledge of composite materials and lightweight aerospace structures.
- Familiarity with mechanical testing methods (static, vibration, and fatigue).
- Proficiency with data analysis tools (Excel, MATLAB, Python, or similar).
- Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work in a team environment.
- Ability to get a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
- Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience in aircraft structural design, UAV airframe development, or aerospace testing.
- Hands-on experience with structural testing, modal analysis, or composite modeling.
- Exposure to CAD software (NX, SolidWorks) and PLM tools (Teamcenter or similar).
- Understanding of aerospace industry standards, structural certification processes, and material selection.
#LI-MS1
#LC
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 employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
###
Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Staff Software Engineer, GCS - Full Stack (R5192)
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.
Job Description:
The Ground Control Station (GCS) and Command & Control (C2) Software team builds the mission planning, command & control, and post-mission debrief systems that enable operators to seamlessly manage complex, multi-domain unmanned missions. We combine modern map-centric interfaces, web technologies, and robust backend services to deliver a world-class operator experience across air, maritime, space, and effects/expendables. In this role, you will focus on building modern, web-based GCS applications, advanced mission planners, post-mission debrief utilities, and general C2 interfaces. You will work across a modern, full-stack ecosystem (utilizing frontend web frameworks, responsive mapping libraries, and robust backend services) to translate autonomous platform capabilities into intuitive, low-latency, and highly reliable control systems.
In this role, you will design and develop major GCS features, mentor mid-level engineers, and represent the GCS/C2 team directly to autonomy capability teams, flight operations, and external partners. It's a hands-on role for engineers who enjoy designing user-facing controls and mission-critical systems and want to see their code drive complex real-world operations.
\n- Develop & Field Web-Based GCS/C2 Software — Design, develop, and optimize high-performance, responsive GCS software and C2 applications, utilizing modern web technologies (e.g., React, TypeScript, Node.js, Go) to build map-centric mission planning, real-time command & control, video streaming, and telemetry visualization interfaces.
- Technical Leadership — Own technical direction for major GCS features and full-stack subsystems; architect frontend/backend architectures, design robust APIs, and lead technical decision-making within your project area.
- Collaboration Across Teams — Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception team, flight operations, and external partners (platform integrators, C2 providers, and vehicle vendors); author and negotiate APIs, REST/WebSocket schemas, and interface contracts rather than just consume them.
- Mentorship & Growth — Mentor mid-level engineers on the team; partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning. Formally onboard senior new hires.
- Design, UX, & Documentation — Drive design reviews, UI/UX prototyping, and API/ICD definitions; champion modern frontend and backend development practices, rigorous unit/integration testing, and developer/operator documentation to close process gaps that span teams.
- Pre-deployment Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready ground stations and C2 web servers; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, UI/UX readiness, and containerized release cadence.
- On-site Test & Mission Support — Travel to test sites and support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, on-water trials, integration events), working closely with operators and pilots to gather feedback, debug live C2 systems, and troubleshoot web interfaces and network configurations under time-critical field constraints.
- System Debugging & Performance Tuning — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across GCS/C2 stacks, radio links, and telemetry streams — including UI rendering bottlenecks, API latency, database query optimization, and network latency profiling under operationally-representative loads.
- Mission Data & Debrief Support — Architect and implement post-mission debrief utilities and telemetry analysis tools that parse, play back, and visualize telemetry, logs, and payload data for rapid post-mission analysis and issue reproduction.
- Continuous Improvement — Build tools and automation scripts to improve C2 deployment pipelines, test/mission reliability, and simulation-based operator testing.
- C2 Interoperability & Standards — Own compliance and integration with command-and-control standards and architectures (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, MAVLink).
- Hiring — Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub-program.
- Travel Requirement — Members of this team typically travel around 10-20% of the year (to support field integration, customer demonstrations, or test events).
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- Experience with modern frontend frameworks (e.g., React, TypeScript) and building rich, interactive user experiences in responsive web-based applications.
- Experience full-stack or building backend in C/C++, Python, TypeScript, or Go, including service orchestration, command/status interfaces, and data pipelines between UI, ground services, and vehicle-side components.
- Deep familiarity with networked and distributed systems, including UDP/TCP transport, custom binary protocols, reliable messaging, pub-sub/IPC middleware, and serialization/IDL tooling.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools to accelerate software design, implementation, debugging, testing, and code review while maintaining strong engineering judgment, validation discipline, and ownership of final technical decisions.
- Experience working with databases, including relational (e.g., PostgreSQL) or NoSQL databases, with preference for experience handling spatial/geographic data (e.g., PostGIS).
- Demonstrated experience owning a major software capability or system from architecture through field delivery.
- Track record of mentoring engineers and growing technical talent.
- Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts, API specifications (e.g., OpenAPI/Swagger), or ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
- Strong debugging and profiling skills, including diagnosing browser rendering bottlenecks, API latencies, and network connectivity issues.
- Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
- Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), web mapping libraries (e.g., Maplibre GL, Leaflet, CesiumJS, OpenLayers), and 2D/3D spatial data visualization.
- Familiarity with video streaming protocols and multimedia frameworks in a web environment (e.g., WebRTC, HLS, RTSP-to-Web gateways, GStreamer, FFmpeg).
- Experience developing post-mission telemetry analysis, log parsing, or interactive web-based playback/debrief systems.
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, k3s/k3d) and deploying C2 services to local, edge, or cloud environments.
- Experience with platform control / autopilot protocols (e.g., MAVLink, STANAG 4586) or DoD C2 standards (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS).
- Experience working closely with flight operators, pilots, or military stakeholders to gather feedback and refine user workflows.
- Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.
#LI-ED1
#LD
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 employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
###
Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Staff Engineer, Software, GCS - C++ (R5189)
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.
Job Description:
The Ground Control Station (GCS) and Command & Control (C2) Software team builds the mission planning, command & control, and post-mission debrief systems that enable operators to seamlessly manage complex, multi-domain unmanned missions. We combine deep desktop application development, modern map-centric interfaces, robust backend integrations, and platform-specific control protocols to deliver a world-class operator experience across air, maritime, space, and effects/expendables. In this role, you will focus on building Ground Control Station software, advanced mission planners, post-mission debrief utilities, and general C2 interfaces. You will work across C++, Qt/QML, QGroundControl (QGC), and full-stack technologies to translate autonomous platform capabilities into intuitive, low-latency, and highly reliable control systems.
In this role, you will design and develop major GCS features, mentor mid-level engineers, and represent the GCS/C2 team directly to autonomy capability teams, flight operations, and external partners. It's a hands-on role for engineers who enjoy designing user-facing controls and mission-critical systems and want to see their code drive complex real-world operations.
\n- Develop & Field GCS/C2 Software — Design, develop, and optimize high-performance, responsive GCS software and C2 applications, focusing on map-centric mission planning, real-time command & control, video streaming, and telemetry visualization. Customize and extend QGroundControl (QGC) or related Qt/C++ frameworks to support custom vehicle protocols and multi-agent operations.
- Technical Leadership — Own technical direction for major GCS features and systems; architect UI/UX layouts, design robust client/server interfaces, and lead technical decision-making within your project area.
- Collaboration Across Teams — Act as a primary technical interface with the Autonomy Capabilities team, Perception team, flight operations, and external partners (platform integrators, C2 providers, and vehicle vendors); author and negotiate APIs, ICDs, and interface contracts rather than just consume them.
- Mentorship & Growth — Mentor mid-level engineers on the team; partner with managers on onboarding, leveling, and growth planning. Formally onboard senior new hires.
- Design, UX, & Documentation — Drive design reviews, UI/UX prototyping, and ICD definition; champion rigorous coding standards, unit/integration testing, and developer/operator documentation to close process gaps that span teams.
- Pre-deployment Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for mission-ready ground stations; coordinate hardware/software compatibility, UI/UX readiness, and release cadence with capability and feature teams.
- On-site Test & Mission Support — Travel to test sites and support live mission operations (flight tests, range exercises, on-water trials, integration events), working closely with operators and pilots to gather feedback, debug live C2 systems, and troubleshoot interfaces under time-critical field constraints.
- Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex GCS/C2 stacks, radio links, payload controls, and telemetry streams — including UI responsiveness bottlenecks, memory leaks, and network latency profiling under operationally-representative loads.
- Mission Data & Debrief Support — Architect and implement post-mission debrief utilities and telemetry analysis tools that parse, play back, and visualize telemetry, logs, and payload data for rapid post-mission analysis and issue reproduction.
- Continuous Improvement — Build tools and automation scripts to improve C2 deployment pipelines, test/mission reliability, and simulation-based operator testing.
- C2 Interoperability & Standards — Own compliance and integration with command-and-control standards and architectures (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, MAVLink).
- Hiring — Interview candidates, help define the skills bar for open roles in your area, and onboard new engineers into your sub-program.
- Travel Requirement — Members of this team typically travel around 10-20% of the year (to support field integration, customer demonstrations, or test events).
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
- Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- Strong proficiency in C++, with experience developing complex, multi-threaded, or latency-sensitive desktop applications.
- Experience building responsive user interfaces using Qt/QML (or similar modern UI frameworks).
- Hands-on experience customizing, extending, or building with QGroundControl (QGC) or similar open-source/proprietary ground station software.
- Experience full-stack or building backend in C/C++, Python, TypeScript, or Go, including service orchestration, command/status interfaces, and data pipelines between UI, ground services, and vehicle-side components.
- Deep familiarity with networked and distributed systems, including UDP/TCP transport, custom binary protocols, reliable messaging, pub-sub/IPC middleware, and serialization/IDL tooling.
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools to accelerate software design, implementation, debugging, testing, and code review while maintaining strong engineering judgment, validation discipline, and ownership of final technical decisions.
- Demonstrated experience owning a major software capability or system from architecture through field delivery.
- Track record of mentoring engineers and growing technical talent.
- Experience authoring or negotiating interface contracts, schemas, or ICDs with internal or external stakeholders.
- Strong debugging and profiling skills, including diagnosing memory leaks, UI responsiveness bottlenecks, and network latency issues.
- Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
- Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), map rendering engines (e.g., Mapbox, Cesium, Esri, QGC Map Engine), and 2D/3D spatial data visualization.
- Familiarity with video streaming protocols and multimedia frameworks (e.g., RTSP, WebRTC, GStreamer, H.264/H.265 video codecs).
- Experience developing post-mission telemetry analysis, log parsing, or interactive playback/debrief systems.
- Familiarity with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and deploying C2 services to local, edge, or cloud environments.
- Experience with platform control / autopilot protocols (e.g., MAVLink, STANAG 4586) or DoD C2 standards (e.g., A-GRA, UCI, OMS).
- Experience working closely with flight operators, pilots, or military stakeholders to gather feedback and refine user workflows.
- Active Secret or Top Secret clearance.
#LI-ED1
#LD
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 employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Manager of Engineering - Autonomous Pilot Integration - Emerging Domains (R5176)
Job Description:
The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for emerging domains builds autonomy solutions for new platforms and mission profiles outside Shield AI's established portfolios — including space (satellites, missile defense), maritime (USV and UUV integration), and contested logistics (unmanned helicopters and related autonomous resupply platforms). The team takes on short-term R&D and integration efforts — often standing up the first autonomy on a brand-new platform or for a brand-new mission — with the intent that successful efforts grow into larger, multi-year programs. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK — selectively leveraging existing Shield AI autonomy solutions where they apply — to develop autonomy that runs on these new platforms. Our engineers write new autonomy code — such as mission behaviors, platform-specific control, multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy — and own it end-to-end from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live test exercise.
In this role, you'll lead a team of autonomy engineers tackling autonomy across Shield AI's emerging-domain efforts — owning their delivery, their growth, and the technical health of your area. A core part of the job is growing the team: hiring strong engineers, mentoring them through hard technical work, and shaping their career development. You'll stay technically active — writing code where it best serves the team, staying close to the integration work, making sound technical decisions, and leading them through the design, development, and delivery of efforts that may shift in shape, scope, and timeline. This role demands a problem solver who thrives in the unknown — you'll be standing up first autonomy on platforms that often don't have an established autopilot interface, mission autonomy, or operator base yet, and you'll be comfortable with priorities and deadlines that shift as programs mature. You'll partner closely with the platform teams that build each new piece of hardware (spacecraft, vessel, helicopter, etc.), the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and GCS teams, and customer/program offices on each effort. Success here means turning short-term R&D and integration efforts into longer-term programs that scale — with the growth opportunity, if desired, to lead the new portfolios that emerge from this work as they mature and graduate from emerging domains.
Manager of Engineering - Autonomous Pilot Integration - Expeditionary (R5175)
Job Description:
The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT — an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware — for U.S. and international defense customers. Our engineers write new autonomy code — such as mission behaviors, platform-specific control (including VTOL transitions), multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy — and own it end-to-end from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live test exercise.
In this role, you'll lead a team of autonomy engineers focused primarily on Hivemind on V-BAT, with growing scope on Hivemind on X-BAT — owning their delivery, their growth, and the technical health of your area. A core part of the job is growing the team: hiring strong engineers, mentoring them through hard technical work, and shaping their career development. You'll stay technically active — writing code where it best serves the team, staying close to the integration work, making sound technical decisions, and leading them through the design, development, and delivery of a major capability or program. A defining part of this role is working in extreme partnership with the aircraft team that builds and maintains V-BAT and X-BAT — the relationship and tight coordination with them is critical to your team's success. You'll also partner closely with the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and GCS teams, feature crews, customer/program offices, the operator community that flies V-BAT today, and prospective customers for X-BAT as the new platform matures. This portfolio has a strong fielded-operator culture — long-endurance ISR missions, customer-driven workflow iteration, and demanding live exercises across multiple U.S. and international services — and you'll set the pace for your team accordingly.
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