Senior Staff Engineer, Autonomy Behaviors (R4073)

Shield AI; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 221,000 - 331,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI, a defense‑tech company, seeks an experienced autonomous systems engineer to design and implement tactical autonomy for unmanned aircraft across air, land, and sea. You will work on high‑performance software and multi‑agent behaviors in collaboration with perception, planning, and flight‑test teams.

Ideal candidates hold a BS/MS in CS/EE/ME/Aerospace with 7–10+ years of related experience, proficient in C++ and Python, and eligible for DoD clearance.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace or equivalent.
• Typically 7+ years with BS, 9+ with MS, or 10+ with PhD in related fields.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python; familiarity with RTOS.
• Extensive robotics experience in autonomous systems and unmanned aircraft.

Responsibilities

• Design tactical autonomy algorithms for unmanned aircraft across domains with minimal supervision.
• Develop high-performance software modules for planning, decision-making, and behavior execution.
• Implement and test multi-agent behavior architectures for coordination, engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability.
• Integrate classical autonomy with ML approaches for robust adaptive behavior.
• Collaborate with perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight-test teams for real-world deployment.
• Deploy autonomy capabilities to platforms and participate in field tests and demos.
• Analyze mission logs to diagnose failures and optimize models.
• Contribute to autonomy R&D and roadmapping to identify gaps and propose solutions.
• Support defense programs and adapt autonomy solutions to evolving requirements.
• Travel 10-15% annually.

Skills

C++

Python

Robotics

RTOS

Unmanned systems

DoD clearance

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science or Engineering

Equivalent practical experience

Tools

AFSIM

NGTS

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube .

This position is perfect for an individual who enjoys solving the most complex problems across a portfolio of diverse domains and modalities. An ideal candidate is expected to apply classical autonomous techniques, algorithms, and theory to various platforms in multiple tactical scenarios. These solutions are expected to be integrated into real-world problems with near-term program impacts and rewards.

Shield AI is committed to developing cutting-edge autonomy for unmanned aircraft operating across all Department of Defense (DoD) domains, including air, sea, and land. We aim to push the envelope by combining traditional autonomous systems algorithms with deep reinforcement learning-based solutions to deliver unmatched capability, agility, and speed in deploying advanced technologies that support national defense.

What you'll do:

• 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).

Required Qualifications:

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience
• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 9 years and a Master’s degree; or 7 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python, and familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS).
• Significant background in robotics technologies related to motion planning, behavior modeling, decision-making, or autonomous system design.
• Significant experience with unmanned system technologies and accompanying algorithms (specifically air domain)
• Experience with simulation tools and environments (e.g., AFSIM, NGTS) for testing and validation.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience applying ML/RL techniques in autonomy pipelines.
• Background in collaborative behaviors, swarm robotics, or distributed decision‑making.
• Familiarity with tactical behaviors for unmanned systems in DoD or government programs.
• Work on behaviors applicable across air, ground, and maritime vehicles.
• Hands-on experience supporting flight demos or live exercises.
• Experience with UCI and OMS Standards

$220,800 - $331,200 a year

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action 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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.