Shield Senior Engineer, Autonomous Systems Integration at Shield AI to lead integration and test readiness for Hivemind autonomy software across unmanned systems. Provide technical leadership from architecture to field execution.
Responsibilities
Shield AI builds intelligent systems that protect service members and civilians. Our products include Hivemind autonomy software and aircraft systems, and our teams support customers and operations across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
Shield AI is seeking a senior, hands-on UxS Integration and Systems Expert to help ensure Hivemind can be developed, tested, demonstrated, and supported on representative unmanned systems with confidence. This role sits at the intersection of autonomy software, unmanned aircraft and robotic systems, onboard compute, networking, radios, sensors, flight controllers, simulation, test operations, and customer-facing demonstrations.
This is a senior technical leadership role for someone who is both a builder and an operator. The right candidate can move comfortably from architecture discussions to benchtop integration, from lab troubleshooting to field execution, and from platform evaluation to clear recommendations for engineering, test, product, and operations leaders.
Serve as a senior technical focal point for Hivemind integration and test readiness across unmanned aircraft, robotic systems, representative test vehicles, onboard compute, radios, sensors, payloads, and supporting ground equipment.
Lead hands-on integration and troubleshooting efforts that span autonomy software, hardware, flight controllers, communications systems, networking, operator interfaces, and field operations.
Partner with engineering, test, product, operations, field, and customer-facing teams to evaluate new platforms and determine how they can best support Hivemind development, validation, training, demonstrations, and customer objectives.
Help take systems from early concept or benchtop integration through representative test, field execution, and operationally relevant demonstrations.
Provide senior-level technical judgment on platform suitability, integration complexity, test readiness, risk, safety, maintainability, cost, availability, and customer value.
Support test planning and execution across simulated, hardware-in-the-loop, live-vehicle, and flight-test environments while keeping the role focused on practical system readiness and evidence quality.
Help define clear readiness criteria, test expectations, operating assumptions, and handoff points for representative hardware used by Hivemind teams.
Diagnose complex cross-disciplinary issues and help route them effectively across software, autonomy, hardware, flight-test, networking, and operations stakeholders.
Contribute to test methods, metrics, and evidence practices that improve confidence in Hivemind behavior across representative and real-world environments.
Qualification
Strong practical experience bringing upWorking knowledge of LinuxStrong analyticalFamiliarity with scriptingStrong ownershipAbility to comply with export-controlExperience with HivemindHands-on experience with NVIDIA JetsonExperience with RF/radio setupExperience supporting flight testExperience integrating EO/IR camerasFamiliarity with C++ for debugging
Required
10+ years of experience in UxS or UAS systems integration, robotics hardware integration, autonomy test operations, flight test, field engineering, embedded systems, or similar hands-on technical roles.
Demonstrated experience leading complex integration efforts across hardware, software, autonomy, networking, communications, sensors, and operational test environments.
Strong practical experience bringing up, configuring, operating, and troubleshooting unmanned systems, onboard compute, flight controllers, radios, sensors, ground stations, and supporting test equipment.
Working knowledge of Linux, embedded systems, networking, system configuration, data collection, logs, services, and field diagnostics.
Experience with unmanned-systems autopilot or flight-control ecosystems such as PX4, ArduPilot, MAVLink, Pixhawk/Cube-class flight controllers, QGroundControl, Mission Planner, or equivalent systems.
Experience supporting testing across simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, live-vehicle, field, or flight-test environments.
Ability to develop and communicate test plans, readiness criteria, operating assumptions, technical recommendations, and post-test findings for cross-functional audiences.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills across ambiguous, cross-disciplinary technical issues.
Ability to lead through influence across engineering, test, product, operations, field, and customer-facing teams.
Familiarity with scripting, automation, or data-analysis workflows using Python, Bash, MATLAB, or similar tools.
Strong ownership, urgency, and judgment in fast-moving environments where requirements, platforms, and constraints may evolve quickly.
Ability to comply with export-control, safety, security, customer-site, and mission-specific operating requirements.
Preferred
Experience with Hivemind, autonomy SDKs, autonomous aircraft systems, robotics middleware, simulation infrastructure, or edge-deployed autonomy software.
Hands-on experience with NVIDIA Jetson, embedded Linux, systemd services, containerized deployment, device provisioning, and field update workflows.
Experience with RF/radio setup, mesh networking, tactical datalinks, software-defined radios, or communications-degraded test scenarios.
Experience supporting flight test, range operations, customer trials, operational rehearsals, or complex demonstrations.
