Staff Engineer — Autonomous Maritime Systems

Shield; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer to lead autonomy capabilities for maritime platforms, including USVs and UUVs, and to coordinate across perception, planning, and hardware teams. You will drive advanced motion planning and real-time decision-making to deliver scalable autonomy solutions.

The role requires deep robotics expertise, system-level thinking, and strong collaboration across disciplines to ensure mission-ready implementations and demonstrations.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor's; 6+ with a Master; 4+ with a PhD.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python; familiarity with RTOS and robotics tech.
• Experience with unmanned systems, simulations (AFSIM/NGTS), and autonomy.
• Excellent problem solving, communication, and teamwork; SECRET clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead autonomous capability delivery for maritime platforms and multi-agent teams.
• Develop advanced motion planning, localization, and safety-aware behaviors.
• Design cross-functional integrations with perception, planning, and hardware teams.
• Support deployments, tests, and mission data analysis for assurance.
• Contribute to roadmaps and prototyping to close capability gaps.

Skills

C++

Python

Robotics

RTOS

Motion planning

Autonomous systems

Problem solving

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

AFSIM

NGTS

Real-time OS

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer to lead autonomy capabilities for maritime platforms, including USVs and UUVs, and to coordinate across perception, planning, and hardware teams. You will drive advanced motion planning and real-time decision-making to deliver scalable autonomy solutions.

The role requires deep robotics expertise, system-level thinking, and strong collaboration across disciplines to ensure mission-ready implementations and demonstrations.