Flight Autonomy Integration Engineer

Shield; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in Greater London is seeking a Flight Integration Engineer to lead system integration of autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, coordinating hardware, sensors, and control interfaces.

You will own pre-flight build, validation, and mission readiness, travel to test sites for on-site flight test support, and troubleshoot time-critical issues in lab and field environments. Strong collaboration across teams is essential.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in CS, EE, ME, Aerospace or equivalent.
• 7+ years with a Bachelor; 5 years with a Master; 4 years with a PhD or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python; RTOS experience.
• Linux-based development; embedded systems; shell scripting; diagnostics.
• Knowledge of sensor integration, sensor fusion, and middleware (ROS, DDS).
• Hands-on experience supporting flight demos or live exercises.
• Experience with simulation tools for testing and validation.
• Strong problem-solving and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• System integration & deployment of autonomy software on unmanned aircraft systems across compute, sensors, and interfaces.
• Pre-flight build, configuration, and validation; ensure mission readiness.
• On-site flight test support; travel to test sites and assist with time-critical operations.
• Hardware/software debugging across autonomy stacks and embedded systems.
• Flight data capture & analysis with autonomy engineers to refine behaviors.
• Collaborate with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to validate functionality.
• Build tools/processes to improve integration timelines and test reliability.
• Assist with certification and compliance documentation.
• Travel 30–40% of the year to offices, customer sites, and deployment events.

Skills

Strong problem-solving

Excellent communication

Teamwork

Education

BS in CS/EE/ME/AE or related

MS preferred

Tools

C++

Python

RTOS

ROS

DDS

Linux

Shell scripting

Job description

Shield AI in Greater London is seeking a Flight Integration Engineer to lead system integration of autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft, coordinating hardware, sensors, and control interfaces.

You will own pre-flight build, validation, and mission readiness, travel to test sites for on-site flight test support, and troubleshoot time-critical issues in lab and field environments. Strong collaboration across teams is essential.