Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Emerging Domains (R5401)

Shield AI•Washington, DC

1d•$195,200 - $292,800

About The Position

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 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 the technical delivery of complex autonomy capabilities across Emerging Domains, helping establish first-of-their-kind autonomy solutions for new platforms and mission areas. You'll own challenging integration efforts, influence technical direction across multiple subsystems, and work closely with platform teams and cross-functional engineering organizations to transition early R&D efforts into scalable, operational capabilities.

Requirements

BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent practical experience.
Typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience.
Expert C++ and Linux development experience.
Experience leading complex autonomy or systems integration efforts.
Experience influencing technical direction across engineering teams.
Experience operating successfully in ambiguous or rapidly evolving technical environments.
Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience standing up autonomy on new platforms.
Experience with autonomous aircraft, maritime, or space systems.
Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives.
Experience with military test events or customer deployments.
Experience with UCI, OMS, STANAG 4586, or comparable interoperability standards.

Responsibilities

Stand Up New Programs – Lead technical efforts to establish autonomy on new platforms, determining how best to leverage existing Shield AI capabilities while developing new platform-specific solutions.
Navigate Ambiguity & Shifting Priorities – Operate effectively as programs evolve, adapting technical plans, balancing competing priorities, and maintaining engineering momentum through changing customer and program requirements.
Develop & Field Autonomy – Lead development and integration of autonomy software across emerging-domain platforms, including platform interfaces, payload integration, mission autonomy, and operational deployment.
Technical Leadership – Lead feature crews or major integration efforts, mentor engineers, remove technical obstacles, and drive delivery of complex capabilities.
Platform Team Partnerships – Serve as a primary technical partner to platform engineering teams while coordinating interface evolution, hardware/software compatibility, and mission readiness.
Collaboration Across Teams & Partners – Coordinate closely with Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, feature crews, customer/program offices, and external partners to deliver integrated autonomy solutions.
Design & Documentation – Lead design reviews, architecture discussions, ICD development, and engineering improvements across multiple efforts.
Pre-deployment Preparation – Drive validation, release readiness, hardware/software integration, and mission preparation for operational deployments.
On-site Test & Mission Support – Provide technical leadership during live testing, demonstrations, and operational events across air, maritime, space, and emerging platforms.
Hardware/Software Debugging – Lead root-cause analysis across complex autonomy stacks, embedded systems, and platform interfaces.
Mission Data & Debrief Support – Drive post-mission analysis and coordinate engineering improvements based on operational results.
Continuous Improvement – Improve engineering processes, testing infrastructure, integration workflows, and deployment efficiency.
C2 Interoperability & Standards – Drive implementation of command-and-control interfaces and interoperability standards appropriate for each platform.