Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration
Real job — pulled straight from Shield AI’s careers page · Verified July 22, 2026 · No reposts.
Job description
Shield AI is hiring a Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration — a full-time, based in Washington, DC role. Apply directly on Shield AI's careers page below.
Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Expeditionary (R5208)
Team: Flight System Integration
Location: Washington, DC, Boston, MA, San Diego, California, Dallas, Texas
Commitment: Full Time Employee
Workplace Type: onsite
The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT — an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware — for U.S. and international defense customers.
In this role, you'll lead the technical delivery of complex autonomy capabilities spanning platform integration, mission autonomy, and operational deployment. You'll own some of the team's most challenging technical problems—from defining flight-autonomy interfaces and integrating advanced payloads to driving mission readiness for customer releases. You'll influence technical direction across multiple subsystems while partnering closely with the Aircraft team, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), feature crews, and customer stakeholders.
You'll combine deep technical expertise with systems thinking to drive successful integration across software, hardware, and operations while mentoring engineers and improving engineering practices across the Expeditionary portfolio.
What You'll Do:
Lead Technical Delivery – Lead the technical execution of complex autonomy capabilities from architecture through field deployment, coordinating work across multiple engineering teams.
Develop & Field Autonomy – Drive integration of mission autonomy, payloads, flight-control interfaces, executive autonomy, and multi-agent behaviors onto V-BAT and X-BAT.
Aircraft Team Partnership – Serve as a primary technical partner to the Aircraft team, defining integration approaches, resolving interface issues, and ensuring mission readiness.
Cross-Team Technical Leadership – Partner across Aircraft, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), and feature crews to solve complex systems integration challenges.
Systems Architecture & Integration – Influence architecture, interface design, and integration strategy across multiple subsystems.
Design & Engineering Excellence – Lead design reviews, contribute to ICDs, mentor engineers, and improve engineering rigor.
Mission Readiness & Field Support – Drive release readiness while supporting flight tests, customer demonstrations, and operational deployments.
Continuous Improvement – Improve integration workflows, testing infrastructure, and engineering productivity.
C2 Interoperability & Standards – Drive implementation of GCS and C2 interfaces using common open-systems standards.
Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10–20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises.
Required Qualifications:
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BS/MS in a relevant engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
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7+ years of relevant experience.
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Expert C++ and Linux development experience.
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Experience leading complex autonomy or embedded software integration efforts.
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Experience influencing technical direction across multiple engineering teams.
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Experience supporting operational test events or customer deployments.
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Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
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Experience with Group 3 UAS or VTOL aircraft.
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Experience with custom autopilot integration.
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EO/IR or ViDAR integration.
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Long-endurance ISR missions.
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Docker, ARM embedded systems, and CI/CD experience.
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Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical initiatives.
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Frequently asked questions
What skills are required for Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration at Shield AI?
The required skills for Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration at Shield AI include: C++, Linux, Docker, CI/CD.
What is the seniority level for Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration at Shield AI?
Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration at Shield AI is a Staff level position.
How do I apply for Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration at Shield AI?
You can view the full description and apply for Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration at Shield AI on EchoJobs: https://echojobs.io/job/shield-ai-staff-software-engineer-autonomous-pilot-integration-expeditionary-r5208-i20pp.