Staff Software Engineer - Autonomous Flight Systems

Shield AI; Washington (Washington County); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Flight Integration Engineer to deploy autonomy software on unmanned aircraft, prepare systems for flight, and troubleshoot mission-critical issues in lab and field environments. You will own the integration and pre-flight validation, support on-site flight tests, and collaborate with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to ensure reliable operation across DoD-relevant environments.

This role requires hands-on problem solving, travel, and a strong emphasis on safety,

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Typically requires 7+ years with a Bachelor’s degree; 5+ with a Master’s; 4+ with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• Proficiency in C++ and Python; familiarity with RTOS.
• Linux-based development; embedded systems; shell scripting; system diagnostics.

Responsibilities

• Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft systems; ensure seamless operation across onboard compute, sensors, and control interfaces.
• Own the build, configuration, and validation process for flight-ready systems; coordinate hardware/software compatibility and mission readiness.
• On-site flight test support; travel to test sites; safety checks, system bring-up, and troubleshooting under time-critical constraints.
• Hardware/software debugging; diagnose and resolve integration issues across autonomy software stacks and embedded systems.
• Flight data capture and analysis; collaborate with autonomy engineers to refine behaviors and improvements.
• Collaborate with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to ensure mission-critical functionality delivered on time and validated.
• Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines, flight test reliability, and team efficiency across deployment cycles.
• Support certification and compliance documentation; assist with system-level validation for airworthiness in defense environments.
• Travel 30-40% of the year to different office locations and field events.

Skills

C++

Python

RTOS

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/ME or related

Tools

ROS

DDS

Linux

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Flight Integration Engineer to deploy autonomy software on unmanned aircraft, prepare systems for flight, and troubleshoot mission-critical issues in lab and field environments. You will own the integration and pre-flight validation, support on-site flight tests, and collaborate with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to ensure reliable operation across DoD-relevant environments.

This role requires hands-on problem solving, travel, and a strong emphasis on safety,