Director of Autonomy Engineering

AI Chopping Block; Northern, San Diego (KY, CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a leader for the Autonomy Capabilities team to drive the delivery of autonomous decision-making capabilities for multi-agent platforms. You will hire and mentor engineers, define system architecture, and guide design choices from rapid prototyping to live test exercises.

You will own technical delivery, ensure robust integration, and maintain a high bar for performance and reliability in real-world defense applications, partnering with cross-functional teams and

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience leading and developing engineers as a people manager, team lead, or similar technical leadership role including mentoring and delivering.
• Track record of leading a technical team or major capability from initial design through integration, validation, and field delivery.
• Significant experience with robotics or autonomous systems, including motion planning, tactical behaviors, decision-making, or multi-agent coordination.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with production-quality software for real-time robotics or autonomy systems.
• Experience with unmanned systems, autonomy simulation environments, and software- or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Strong systems-level problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. SECRET security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the autonomy team (typically 5–10 engineers) and own performance, growth, and delivery.
• Build the team by defining skills, coordinating with recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding.
• Own technical delivery from design through integration, validation, and field deployment.
• Set technical direction for mission autonomy and balance reuse with new development.
• Develop tactical autonomy including motion planning, multi-agent coordination, and perception-aware decision-making.
• Stay technically engaged and contribute to prototyping, critical designs, and live test milestones.
• Drive engineering rigor with high-performance, well-tested software and clear interfaces.
• Navigate ambiguity and changing priorities while protecting the team’s ability to execute.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and defense customers to shape requirements and integration.

Skills

Team leadership

People management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Education

BS in CS/EE/ME/Aerospace or related

Tools

C++

Autonomy simulation environments

Flight tests

Real-time software

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a leader for the Autonomy Capabilities team to drive the delivery of autonomous decision-making capabilities for multi-agent platforms. You will hire and mentor engineers, define system architecture, and guide design choices from rapid prototyping to live test exercises.

You will own technical delivery, ensure robust integration, and maintain a high bar for performance and reliability in real-world defense applications, partnering with cross-functional teams and