Principal Engineer, Software (R5284)

AI Chopping Block; United States; On-site; USD 220,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

AI Chopping Block is looking for a senior software engineer to join the elite Special Projects team. This role involves designing and prototyping generative AI experiences while influencing Hivemind's strategic direction. Candidates should have 15+ years of experience in software development, particularly with modern coding practices and user experience design.

Ideal applicants will have hands-on experience across various technologies including React, C++, Go, Linux, Docker, and cloud platforms. This position offers a unique opportunity to directly contribute to key product innovations.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience developing large, production-quality software systems.
• Excellent grasp of software development and coding principles.
• 5+ years with React/Node/Typescript/Javascript development.
• Experience with Web application development (Front-End or Full-stack).
• Hands-on experience with a major cloud platform.

Responsibilities

• Design and prototype generative AI experiences.
• Collaborate to crystallize Hivemind's vision.
• Lead user experience design for Hivemind Generative AI.
• Conduct user research to understand user personas.
• Investigate competing products and synthesize findings.

Skills

Software development in mainstream languages (e.g., Typescript, C++, Go, Python, Rust)

Modern software engineering best practices

User experience design

Full-stack web development

Multi-modal input handling

Tools

Linux

Docker

CI/CD tools

Major cloud platforms (Azure, GCP, AWS)

Job description

Overview

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company founded in 2015. Its mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. Shield AI operates across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.shield.ai.

Job Description

The Special Projects team at Shield AI is an elite group within the office of the CTO. It comprises senior software engineering experts from diverse fields (aerospace, robotics, cloud infrastructure, game development, interactive media design, etc.). The charter of this group is to steer technology development toward strategic alignment with the CTO’s vision, through tactical insertion into teams and technologies across the organization. Members contribute directly and, at times, quickly to all three pillars of Hivemind, Shield AI’s software ecosystem for developing and deploying resilient intelligent teaming for aircrafts. Hivemind consists of four products: EdgeOS (C++ based middleware for autonomy development), Pilot (autonomy for the edge built atop EdgeOS; a models-based, modular and open architecture C++ codebase), Forge (AI Factory for the design, development, and testing of Hivemind Edge systems; a service-oriented architecture leveraged through an SDK, CLI, and web portal; Go, Python, and Typescript codebase), Commander (software and hardware to support rich human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop interactions with the Hivemind; a C++-based back-end for interaction with Pilot; and a web-application UI for mission planning, command and control by operators implemented in a Typescript/React codebase).

The Special Projects team operates effectively within ambiguity. While this team does not own any software products, it tactically and strategically impacts the development of all foundational Hivemind products and leverages those technologies to rapidly deliver low-TRL solutions. Work occurs shoulder-to-shoulder with product teams in some cases, and in a forward-sprinting manner within the Special Projects team in others. The result is direct contribution to products in the former, and development of reference implementations in the latter. The team also functions as a pipeline for product and solution engineering teams across the organization. Individuals who join the Special Projects team rapidly gain depth and breadth in their understanding of the Hivemind software ecosystem, positioning them to lead technology development across the product and solution organization.

What you'll do

• Design and prototype generative AI experiences focused on accelerating autonomy development
• Collaborate with members of the Office of the CTO to crystallize the vision of the Hivemind product and its documentation
• Lead the user experience design of Hivemind Generative AI
• Work with technical leads of Hivemind Commander (mission planning, command and control, air-ground communications) and Hivemind Design (configurations, test and evaluation, rehearsal, analysis) to enhance user experience of their products
• Conduct user research to understand user personas and their needs
• Investigate competing products and their user experiences, synthesize findings for engineering and product leadership

Required qualifications

• 15+ years experienced developing large, production-quality software systems
• Excellent grasp of software development and coding principles with high productivity in a mainstream language (e.g., Typescript, C++, Go, Python, Rust)
• Strong knowledge of modern software engineering best practices; experience with Git and code management tools; good software hygiene regarding code documentation, unit testing, bug tracking
• 5+ years of experience with React/Node/Typescript/Javascript development
• 5+ years of experience with Web applications development (Front-End or Full-stack)
• Deep understanding of full-stack web development (DOM, browser APIs, standards, semantics, Websockets, HTTP Streaming and Server-Sent Events; UI state management; React-based rendering; SPA routing; URL-based state persistence; content loading states and progressive rendering)
• Multi-modal input handling (text, files, images, audio). Experience with client-side LLM Context Management
• Adaptable and proactive in ambiguous conditions, with ability to drive technical efforts
• Experience with Linux, Docker, and CI/CD environments
• Hands-on experience with a major cloud platform (Azure, GCP, AWS)
• Travel to a Shield AI location 1-3 times per quarter

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with geospatial data and WebGL
• Experience with Playwright UI testing
• Experience with Electron (or similar)
• Building debugging/inspection UIs for generative AI systems
• Experience with user experience design for video games
• Experience designing for low-code or no-code systems
• Experience and/or comfort reading C++ and/or Python and/or Typescript

Salary: 220,000 - 330,000 a year

EEO: Shield AI is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.