Senior Autonomy Architect – Maritime Robotics

Shield; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to lead the technical direction of the maritime autonomy portfolio, shaping architectures across programs and mentoring engineers. You will blend advanced control theory with practical software implementation, delivering capabilities that operate on real-world platforms with near-term program impacts.

You will work across perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and operational test teams to ensure robust, safe autonomous systems.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in CS/EE/ME/AE or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 7–10 years in related field depending on degree.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python; RTOS familiarity.
• Background in robotics motion planning, behavior modeling, or autonomous system design.
• Experience with unmanned system technologies and related algorithms; space domain ideal.
• Experience with simulation tools (AFSIM, NGTS) for testing/validation.
• Ability to obtain SECRET clearance.

Responsibilities

• Robust motion planning for USVs/UUVs and coordination with other vehicles.
• Localization and tracking using fusion modalities and sensor networks.
• Safe maritime operations ensuring COLREGs compliance and operator trust.
• Develop distributed optimization and task allocation for heterogeneous teams.
• Develop high-performance software with clear interfaces and TRL readiness.
• Cross-functional collaboration with perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and OT teams.
• Deploy capabilities to real surface vehicles and support integration events.
• R&D and road-mapping contributing to autonomy roadmaps.
• Travel about 25% per year.

Skills

C++

Python

RTOS

Robotics

Problem solving

Communication

Teamwork

SECRET clearance

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science or related engineering

Tools

AFSIM

NGTS

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to lead the technical direction of the maritime autonomy portfolio, shaping architectures across programs and mentoring engineers. You will blend advanced control theory with practical software implementation, delivering capabilities that operate on real-world platforms with near-term program impacts.

You will work across perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and operational test teams to ensure robust, safe autonomous systems.