Senior Staff Engineer, Autonomy

Shield; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a hands-on engineer to design and implement autonomous behaviours for uncrewed aircraft, blending software with perception and path planning. You will work with real sensor data, run in high-fidelity simulations, and integrate with third-party systems.

A defence-technology focus drives rigorous reliability and architecture discipline. You should bring a strong background in modern C++, fast-paced software delivery, and prior uncrewed or aerospace experience.

Qualifications

• A tertiary level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics or a related field.
• Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems.
• Strong experience in modern C++.
• Significant experience in building and delivering reliable software systems, ideally in fast-paced environments.
• Prior experience with uncrewed systems, especially in the air domain.
• Defence industry experience.
• Significant experience in one or more of the following domains: State Estimation, Real-Time Systems, Guidance, Navigation and Control, Path Planning

Responsibilities

• Design and implement autonomous behaviours for uncrewed aircraft
• Work with real sensor data and build robust sensor fusion solutions
• Develop and test autonomy systems in high-fidelity software and hardware in-the-loop simulations
• Integrate Shield AI autonomy products together with third-party aircraft and systems
• Collaborate across AI, robotics, and systems engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions
• Contribute to architecture, code quality, design reviews and best practices
• Lead and mentor junior engineers

Skills

Modern C++

Robotics experience

Autonomy systems

Software development

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science/Mechatronics/Software Engineering/Aerospace/Robotics

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defence technology company building intelligent autonomous systems for aircraft. This is a hands‑on engineering role, blending software development with robotics, perception, and path planning. You'll be joining a high-performing team shaping the future of AI pilots for solving real‑world problems.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement autonomous behaviours for uncrewed aircraft
• Work with real sensor data and build robust sensor fusion solutions
• Develop and test autonomy systems in high‑fidelity software and hardware in‑the‑loop simulations
• Integrate Shield AI autonomy products together with third‑party aircraft and systems
• Collaborate across AI, robotics, and systems engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions
• Contribute to architecture, code quality, design reviews and best practices
• Lead and mentor junior engineers

About you

• A tertiary level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics or a related field
• Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems
• Strong experience in modern C++
• Significant experience in building and delivering reliable software systems, ideally in fast‑paced environments
• Prior experience with uncrewed systems, especially in the air domain
• Defence industry experience
• Significant experience in one or more of the following domains: State Estimation, Real‑Time Systems, Guidance, Navigation and Control, Path Planning

About us

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.