Autonomy Software Engineer - Unmanned Systems Integration

Shield; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits package

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking an experienced Autonomous Pilot Integration engineer to develop, integrate, and field autonomy software for unmanned platforms across air, maritime, space, and other domains. You will own end‑to‑end development from software‑in‑the‑loop to live test exercises and work with cross‑functional teams and external platform vendors.

The role emphasizes hands‑on development, hardware‑in‑the‑loop validation, and travel to test sites, with security clearance required.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically 5+ years with a Bachelor’s or 4+ with a Masters; 2+ with a PhD; or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in C++, with real‑time or latency‑sensitive systems experience.
• Proficiency in Linux-based development and embedded systems; shell scripting and diagnostics.
• Familiarity with middleware/IPC frameworks used in autonomy or robotics (DDS, ActiveMQ).
• Hands-on experience supporting demos, exercises, or field tests for unmanned/autonomous systems.
• Experience with autonomy simulation environments for testing and validation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and field autonomy software on unmanned platforms (air, maritime, space, effects/expendables).
• Collaborate with Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, and external partners to deliver mission‑critical functionality.
• Own build, configuration, and validation for mission‑ready systems across environments.
• Travel to test sites and support live mission operations and integration events.
• Diagnose and resolve integration issues across autonomy stacks, payloads, and embedded systems.
• Capture mission data, reproduce issues in simulation, and drive fixes in next builds.
• Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines and reliability.
• Implement and validate compliance with C2 standards (A‑GRA, UCI, OMS) and interface contracts.

Skills

C++

Real-time systems

Linux

Embedded systems

DDS/ActiveMQ middleware

Autonomy simulation

Demos/field tests

Team collaboration

Security clearance (SECRET)

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science / Electrical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Aerospace Engineering

Tools

DDS

Docker

CMake

Conan

Job description

Shield AI is seeking an experienced Autonomous Pilot Integration engineer to develop, integrate, and field autonomy software for unmanned platforms across air, maritime, space, and other domains. You will own end‑to‑end development from software‑in‑the‑loop to live test exercises and work with cross‑functional teams and external platform vendors.

The role emphasizes hands‑on development, hardware‑in‑the‑loop validation, and travel to test sites, with security clearance required.