Staff Engineer, DevOps (5431)

Front Door Defense; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer, DevOps to own and optimize the native C++ build system for our autonomous aircraft software. You will focus on developer experience, accelerate delivery, and reduce build times across local and CI environments.

Collaborate with software engineers to implement robust build pipelines, resolve failures quickly, and establish best practices. This role demands strong scripting, CI/CD expertise, and cloud/container tooling in a fast-paced aerospace software

Qualifications

• BS in CS, CE, EE, or related field with 7+ years industry experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
• Deep CMake/C++ expertise or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of dependency management and proficiency with Conan or CPM.
• Proficiency with containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud build clusters).
• Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash).
• Hands-on experience integrating automated testing into CI pipelines.
• Demonstrated success improving developer productivity at scale.
• Demonstrated track record of excellence as a primary contributor on projects in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Be the expert on our native C++ software build process.
• Improve developer velocity by reducing build/test cycle time and eliminating pipeline bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with Software Engineers to understand requirements, propose designs, and implement solutions.
• Partner with developers to resolve build/test failures quickly and set best practices for integration.
• Integrate CI pipelines with HIL and simulation environments for automated validation.
• Implement monitoring, dashboards, and alerts related to build system performance for local and CI workflows.
• Use agentic solutions to identify root cause around build failures and deliver feedback to engineers.

Skills

CMake/C++ expertise

CI/CD

Python

Shell scripting

Build automation

Root-cause analysis

DevEx mindset

Collaboration across teams

Education

BS in CS/CE/EE (7+ years) or MS/PhD (5+ years)

Tools

Conan or CPM

Docker

Kubernetes

Azure DevOps/Jenkins/GitLab

Terraform/Ansible

Grafana/Prometheus

Job description

Staff Engineer, DevOps (5431)

Own and optimize the build system for Shield AI's autonomous aircraft software

Location: San Diego, California, Dallas, Texas

Compensation: $150,000 - 220,000 USD / year

About The Role

DevOps Build Engineer

Shield AI is building autonomous aircraft that redefine aviation. The Software Integration & Operations (SIO) team builds the pipelines, tools, and systems that make fast, reliable delivery of complex aircraft software possible. As a DevOps Build Engineer, you will own and maintain the build system for our autonomous aircraft (XBAT/VBAT). This role is primarily focused on Developer Experience (DevEx) and bringing DevOps best practices to our software engineers to accelerate their development cycles.

What you'LL do:

• Be the expert on our native (C++) software build process.
• Improve developer velocity by reducing build/test cycle time and eliminating pipeline bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with Software Engineers to understand their requirements, propose designs, and implement identified solutions.
• Partner with developers to resolve build/test failures quickly and set best practices for integration.
• Integrate CI pipelines with HIL and simulation environments for automated validation.
• Implement monitoring, dashboards, and alerts related to build system performance for both local development and CI workflows.
• Use agentic solutions to aid in quickly identifying root cause around build failures and getting the appropriate feedback to a Software Engineer.

Required qualifications:

• BS in CS, CE, EE, or related field with 7+ years industry experience (or MS/PhD with 5+ years).
• Deep CMake/C++ expertise or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of dependency management and proficiency with either Conan or CPM.
• Proficiency with containers and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes, cloud build clusters).
• Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash).
• Hands-on experience integrating automated testing into CI pipelines.
• Demonstrated success improving developer productivity at scale.
• Demonstrated track record of excellence as a primary contributor on projects - showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with CICD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Gitlab).
• Cloud Operations experience (Azure, AWS, GCP).
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible) and monitoring (Grafana, Prometheus).
• Background in robotics, autonomy, or aerospace systems.

$150,000 - $220,000 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. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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.