Software Engineer, Networking & OS (R6362)

Shield AI•Dallas, TX

98d•$120,000 - $190,000

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. As a Software Engineer (Networking & OS) on V-BAT, you will design, implement, and optimize network infrastructure for an unmanned aerial system deployed in challenging environments. V-BAT is designed to operate in contested, GNSS-denied airspace, requiring reliable, secure, and efficient communication among air and ground devices. You will build networking capabilities on embedded Linux, optimize communications over constrained radio and satellite links, and work with software and hardware engineers and field operators to validate performance in HIL labs and flight tests.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree and 4 or more years, or a PhD and 2 or more years.
Strong proficiency writing C, C++, or Python in Linux, with a record of shipping software that interacts directly with the operating system networking stack.
Deep understanding of Linux networking fundamentals, including netlink, IP routes and tables, iptables/nftables, TUN/TAP interfaces, Linux network namespaces, and socket programming.
Solid understanding of Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking, custom routing protocols, VLAN tagging, QoS and traffic management, and VPN/tunneling mechanisms such as OpenVPN, GRE, IPsec, or custom user-space tunnels.
Practical experience troubleshooting network degradation with low-level tools such as tcpdump, Wireshark, iproute2, and iperf in lossy, high-latency, or bandwidth-constrained environments.
Demonstrated ability to ship products, navigate development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions to deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to obtain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing embedded Linux networking applications using build systems such as Yocto or OS-level customization tools.
Experience working with RF and other hardware engineers to design network protocols and topologies tailored to a novel radio network design.
Experience architecting network solutions for robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or edge-computing hardware.
Familiarity with network security, public key infrastructure (PKI), and cryptographic tunnels in embedded systems.

Responsibilities

Design and build custom, resilient Layer 2 and Layer 3 network topologies for V-BAT mission profiles, including device isolation, dynamic traffic management, and transmission across multiple links.
Implement networking features on embedded Linux, including custom routing, TUN/TAP interfaces, user-space tunnels, and socket-level applications.
Develop bandwidth-optimized, low-latency communication paths over lossy or constrained radio and satellite links, working backward from operator capabilities.
Write production-grade C, C++, or Python software for capabilities such as software-defined network interfaces, traffic-shaping policies, and link-failover mechanisms.
Partner with software engineers, hardware engineers, and field operators to validate end-to-end network performance in hardware-in-the-loop labs and flight-test environments.