Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration – Expeditionary (R5208)
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About this role
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 develop new autonomy capabilities — including mission behaviors, platform-specific control (including VTOL transitions), multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy — and own major features from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live flight test. You'll partner closely with the Aircraft team, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, feature crews, and customer stakeholders to deliver mission-ready autonomy software and solve complex integration challenges. As a senior engineer, you'll provide technical leadership across major capabilities, mentor teammates, influence architecture and integration strategy, and help drive successful field deployments for both mature and emerging expeditionary platforms.
This team has a strong fielded-operator culture — long-endurance ISR missions, customer-driven workflow iteration, and demanding live exercises across multiple U.S. and international services. It's a hands-on role for engineers who want to see their software operate on real aircraft and directly support operators in the field.
What You'll Do:
Develop & Field Autonomy – Develop and integrate autonomy software for V-BAT and X-BAT, including mission behaviors, platform-specific control, payload and sensor integration (e.g., ViDAR, EO/IR), multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy. Own major features from software-in-the-loop through live flight testing.
Aircraft Team Partnership – Collaborate closely with the Aircraft team to integrate autonomy capabilities, validate platform interfaces, coordinate hardware/software compatibility, and support release readiness.
Collaboration Across Teams & Partners – Partner with the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), feature crews, and customer stakeholders to deliver integrated mission capabilities.
Technical Leadership – Own significant features or subsystems, drive technical execution, mentor teammates, and contribute to design reviews and integration planning.
Pre-deployment Preparation – Build, configure, validate, and prepare mission-ready systems while ensuring software, hardware, and operator workflows are ready for deployment.
On-site Test & Mission Support – Support flight tests, customer demonstrations, operator training, and deployment events through system bring-up, troubleshooting, and mission execution.
Hardware/SoftwareDebugging – Diagnose integration issues across autonomy software, payload computers, embedded systems, and platform interfaces using simulation and operational testing.
Mission Data & Continuous Improvement – Analyze mission data, drive root-cause analysis, and build tools and processes that improve integration efficiency and mission reliability.
C2 Interoperability & Standards – Implement and validate interfaces with GCS and command-and-control systems while supporting compliance with STANAG 4586, UCI, and OMS.
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:
BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
5+ years of relevant experience (or equivalent advanced degree experience).
Strong C++ development experience in real-time or embedded systems.
Experience with Linux-based development and embedded systems.
Experience integrating complex software systems and troubleshooting across hardware/software boundaries.
Experience supporting system integration, testing, or field events.
Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with unmanned aircraft or autonomous systems.
Experience with autonomy software, robotics, or vehicle control.
Experience with payload or sensor integration.
Python, Docker, CMake/Conan, or CI/CD experience.
Experience with military test events or defense customers.
Additional Information
Compensation
$163,200 - $244,800 a year
Skills & Technologies
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Job Details
- Company
- Shield AI
- Location
- Washington / DC / USA
- Work Type
- Onsite
- Posted
- July 21, 2026
- Source freshness
- Seen on employer source 33m ago
About Shield AI
Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Their Hivemind AI powers autonomous aircraft for defense applications, enabling drones to fly missions in GPS-denied environments without communications.
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