Engineer I, Software - Autonomous Pilot Integration - New Grad - 6125

Shield AI•Washington, DC

12d•$77,200 - $211,200•Onsite

About The Position

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-technology company whose mission is to protect 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. The Autonomous Pilot Integration team builds and maintains a reusable core pilot and applies it to programs and platforms. The team combines Hivemind SDK, Perception, and Autonomy Capabilities components into mission solutions, adapts them to vehicle and operator interfaces, and validates behavior in simulation, labs, and representative tests. This entry-level role contributes to reusable pilot software and program-specific autonomy applications. The engineer works with experienced colleagues on defined software, configuration, and test tasks, learning how mission behavior, platform control, sensors, and command-and-control work together without independently owning an interface, release, or test event. This is a paid, in-person, full-time position for students graduating during the 2026–2027 academic year, with anticipated starts after graduation in 2027. The role requires the ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, graduating between December 2026 and August 2027.
Foundational C++ or Python programming demonstrated through coursework, projects, research, internships, or work experience.
Familiarity with Linux, Git, debugging, and basic software-testing practices.
Ability to complete scoped tasks with guidance, communicate progress, and incorporate feedback.
Must be able to work in-person full-time.
Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Nice To Haves

Prior internship or co-op experience writing software.
Projects involving autonomy, platform controls, sensors, simulation, or C2 interfaces.
Familiarity with containers, message buses, networking, or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
Interest in hands-on lab work and occasional integration or field-test events.

Responsibilities

Implement C++ changes to program-specific mission behavior, autonomy configuration, diagnostics, or an assigned platform-interface component with guidance.
Develop and adapt supported pilot behaviors and reference configurations for defined missions or platforms, contributing reusable improvements to the core pilot with guidance.
Run builds and unit or integration tests, and help reproduce issues using simulation, logs, and telemetry.
Assist with validation of command, status, sensor, and mission data flows in lab or SIL/HIL environments.
Document setup steps, interface assumptions, test findings, and reproducible failures for the program team.
Work with the Autonomy Capabilities team on planning and other capability interfaces, and with Integration & Test and platform teams on platform interfaces, compute, and test environments.