Autonomous Flight Software Lead for UAS (V-BAT/X-BAT)

Shield; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits package

Job summary

Shield AI in Arlington, VA is seeking a senior leader to drive autonomous systems delivery for expeditionary platforms. You will own complex integration tasks across software and hardware, mentor engineers, and coordinate with Aircraft, Autonomy, Perception, and GCS teams.

Expect travel 10–20% and a strong focus on mission readiness. The role requires 7+ years of experience, expert C++/Linux, and the ability to obtain SECRET clearance.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Expert C++ and Linux development experience.
• Experience leading complex autonomy or embedded software integration efforts.
• Experience influencing technical direction across multiple engineering teams.
• Experience supporting operational test events or customer deployments.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead Technical Delivery - oversee complex autonomy capabilities from architecture to field deployment.
• Develop & Field Autonomy - integrate mission autonomy, payloads, flight-control interfaces, and multi-agent behaviors.
• Aircraft Team Partnership - serve as primary technical partner to Aircraft team for integration approaches.
• Cross-Team Technical Leadership - collaborate across multiple teams to solve complex integrations.
• Systems Architecture & Integration - influence architecture and interface design across subsystems.
• Design & Engineering Excellence - lead design reviews, mentor engineers, improve rigor.
• Mission Readiness & Field Support - drive release readiness; support tests and deployments.
• Continuous Improvement - improve workflows, testing infrastructure, and productivity.
• C2 Interoperability & Standards - implement GCS and C2 interfaces to open standards.
• Travel Requirement - 10–20% travel to offices, sites, and customer events.

Skills

C++ development

Linux development

Autonomy software integration

Technical leadership

Engineering education

Customer deployments

Secret clearance readiness

Education

BS/MS in engineering

Tools

Docker

CI/CD

ARM embedded systems

Job description

Shield AI in Arlington, VA is seeking a senior leader to drive autonomous systems delivery for expeditionary platforms. You will own complex integration tasks across software and hardware, mentor engineers, and coordinate with Aircraft, Autonomy, Perception, and GCS teams.

Expect travel 10–20% and a strong focus on mission readiness. The role requires 7+ years of experience, expert C++/Linux, and the ability to obtain SECRET clearance.