Autonomy Systems Engineer – Multi-Agent Flight Tech

Shieldai

San Mateo (CA)

On-site

USD 180,000 - 240,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

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Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a senior Software Architect for the Autonomy Capabilities Team. You will design tactical autonomy algorithms for unmanned aircraft, develop high-performance software, and implement multi-agent behavior architectures across air, land, and sea domains.

You will collaborate with perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight test teams to ensure seamless integration into real-world platforms.

Qualifications

BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
Proficient in production-level C++ software development
7+ years' experience in software sub-system scheduling and integration, behavior planning, task and resource allocation, motion planning, optimization, or flight controls
Experience with collaborative software development tools for version control, issue tracking, code reviews, and release management
Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams, set technical direction, and manage full project lifecycles from concept to deployment
Capacity to learn and grow individually, while mentoring junior team members effectively, building team cohesion and capacity
Desire to work in a highly collaborative, fast paced, enthusiastic, and mission-centric environment
Capacity to act as the technical owner for an entire software system, including stakeholder engagement, requirements definition, roadmap management, team co-ordination, design, implementation, sustainment, and evolution
Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

Responsibilities

Tactical Autonomy Design – Design tactical autonomy algorithms to enable unmanned aircraft to perform complex missions across air, land, and sea domains with minimal human supervision.
High-Performance Software Development – Develop high-performance software modules that incorporate planning, decision-making, and behavior execution strategies for dynamic and adversarial environments.
Behavior Architecture Implementation – Implement and test behavior architectures that enable multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios.
Hybrid Autonomy Integration – Work at the intersection of classical autonomy and machine learning, blending rule-based systems with learning-based methods such as reinforcement learning to achieve robust, adaptive behavior.
Cross-Functional Collaboration – Collaborate with cross-functional teams including perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight test to ensure seamless integration of autonomy solutions on real-world platforms.
Deployment & Field Testing – Deploy autonomy capabilities to real platforms and participate in field tests and flight demos, validating performance in operationally relevant conditions.
Mission Data Analysis – Analyze mission logs and performance data to diagnose failures, optimize behavior models, and inform iterative development.
R&D and Roadmapping – Contribute to the autonomy roadmap by researching and prototyping new algorithms, identifying tactical capability gaps, and proposing novel solutions that advance Shield AI’s mission.
Program Support & Adaptation – Support defense-focused programs and customer needs by adapting autonomy solutions to evolving mission sets, compliance requirements, and operational feedback.
Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10-15% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, and flight integration events).