Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities (R5339)

Team: Flight System Integration

Location: San Mateo, California

Commitment: Full Time Employee

Workplace Type: onsite

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 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 4 years and a Master’s degree; or 2 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 one or several robotic technology areas related to control systems, motion planning, optimization, tactical behaviors, and/or distributed decision-making 

• Significant experience with unmanned system technologies and accompanying algorithms (ideally in the space domain specifically) 

• Experience with simulation tools and environments (e.g., AFSIM, NGTS, or similar) 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 or higher  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in multiple aerospace domains (e.g., air, land, sea, space) 

• Experience across a breadth of methodologies from classical control through optimization and applied ML/RL 

• Background in collaborative behaviors and swarm robotics 

• Familiarity with domain-relevant DoD or government programs 

• Hands-on experience supporting integration events, customer demos, and/or live exercises