15 days ago
San Mateo, CA, USASenior
Base Salary
$196k - $294k/yr
Responsibilities
- Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft systems across onboard compute, sensors, and control interfaces.
- Own system build, configuration, validation, and pre-flight readiness activities.
- Support live flight operations at test sites, including safety checks, system bring-up, and time-critical troubleshooting.
- Debug hardware/software integration issues across autonomy software stacks and embedded systems.
- Capture flight data and perform post-test analysis with autonomy engineers.
- Collaborate with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to deliver and validate mission-critical functionality.
- Develop tools and processes to improve integration timelines, flight-test reliability, system testing, logging, and data parsing.
- Support certification, airworthiness, compliance documentation, and system-level validation.
Requirements
- BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a similar field, or equivalent practical experience.
- At least 2 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree, or an advanced degree with internship or equivalent practical experience.
- Proficiency in C++ and Python, with familiarity with real-time operating systems.
- Experience with Linux-based development, embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics.
- Knowledge of sensor integration, sensor fusion, and middleware frameworks such as ROS and DDS.
- Hands-on experience supporting flight demonstrations or live exercises.
- Experience with simulation tools such as AFSIM and NGTS for testing and validation.
- Ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance in multidisciplinary environments.
- Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
- Preferred experience includes unmanned aerial systems, flight-test campaigns, autonomy stacks, flight-control systems, GNC pipelines, sensor integration, electronics debugging, avionics bring-up, DoD stakeholder engagement, and UCI and OMS Standards.
Benefits
- Full-time regular employees may receive bonus, benefits, and equity in addition to base pay.
- Temporary employees receive a temporary benefits package applicable after 60 days of employment.
- The role typically requires 30–40% travel to office locations, customer sites, and flight-integration events.
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.