Shield AI
Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5423)
San Mateo, California · Senior · Full-time · Posted Sep 16, 2026
- Experience
- Typically a minimum of 2 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or completion of a Master’s or PhD program with internship or equivalent practical experience preferred; or equivalent professional experience.
- Education
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience
About the job
Integrates and deploys autonomy software on unmanned aircraft, prepares systems for flight, and supports flight testing and troubleshooting in lab and field environments.
What you'll do
- Integrate autonomy software with aircraft compute, sensors, and control interfaces; configure and validate flight-ready systems.
- Support on-site flight operations, including safety checks, system bring-up, troubleshooting, and flight-data analysis.
- Collaborate across engineering and test teams to improve deployment processes and support certification and compliance.
What they ask for
- BS/MS in a listed engineering or computer science field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Typically at least 2 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; alternatives include a Master’s or PhD program with internship or equivalent practical experience, or equivalent professional experience.
- Proficiency in C++ and Python; Linux-based development and embedded systems experience; familiarity with RTOS.
- Hands-on experience supporting flight demos or live exercises; ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.
Nice to have
- Direct experience supporting unmanned aerial systems or similar flight test campaigns.
- Familiarity with autonomy stacks, flight control systems, or GNC pipelines.
Tools
C++, Python, RTOS, Linux, ROS, DDS, AFSIM, NGTS
AI focus
Deploys autonomy software on unmanned aircraft and analyzes flight data to help refine autonomous behaviors.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative