Autonomy Engineering Lead — UAV Pilot Integration

Shieldai; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking an Autonomous Pilot Integration lead to manage a team delivering autonomy software on V‑BAT and X‑BAT platforms. The role blends hands-on coding with people leadership, system integration, and cross-team collaboration to deliver mission-ready capabilities.

You will mentor engineers, drive architecture and interface decisions, and work closely with the aircraft team to ensure seamless flight autonomy and platform integration, including field demonstrations.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical/Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum years experience in related roles with leadership responsibilities.
• Strong C++ and Linux experience for real-time systems.
• Experience building or growing an engineering team and mentoring engineers.
• Experience interacting with DoD stakeholders and field exercises.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small-to-mid-sized autonomy engineering team (5–10 engineers).
• Drive hiring, interviews, and candidate selection to grow the team.
• Mentor engineers, provide technical feedback, and facilitate career progression.
• Maintain close partnership with the aircraft team (V-BAT/X-BAT) and define interfaces.
• Develop and field autonomy software on V-BAT/X-BAT platforms, including payload integration.
• Own design reviews, ICDs, and interface contracts; ensure integration quality.
• Coordinate pre-deployment validation, hardware/software compatibility, and mission readiness.
• Travel 20–30% for test sites, exercises, and deployments.

Skills

C++

Linux

Embedded systems

Autonomy

Multi-agent autonomy

Team leadership

Python

Docker

CMake

Conan

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science or related engineering field

Equivalent practical experience

Tools

Docker

CMake

Conan

DDS / pub-sub frameworks

Job description

Shield AI is seeking an Autonomous Pilot Integration lead to manage a team delivering autonomy software on V‑BAT and X‑BAT platforms. The role blends hands-on coding with people leadership, system integration, and cross-team collaboration to deliver mission-ready capabilities.

You will mentor engineers, drive architecture and interface decisions, and work closely with the aircraft team to ensure seamless flight autonomy and platform integration, including field demonstrations.