Staff Software Engineer (Autonomous Aircraft Integration)

About this role

• Shield AI is committed to developing cutting-edge autonomy for unmanned aircraft operating across all Department of Defense (DoD) domains, including air, sea, and land
• Our Flight Integration Engineers are essential to bridging the gap between R&D and deployment, ensuring that autonomous systems function reliably and effectively when and where they are needed most
• System Integration & Deployment — This role will integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft systems, ensuring seamless operation across onboard compute, sensors, and control interfaces
• Pre-flight Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for flight-ready systems; coordinate hardware/software compatibility and mission readiness
• On-site Flight Test Support — Travel to test sites and support live flight operations, including safety checks, system bring-up, and troubleshooting under time-critical constraints
• Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex autonomy software stacks and embedded systems in lab and field environments
• Flight Data Capture & Analysis — Manage data collection during missions and post-test analysis, working with autonomy engineers to refine behaviors and identify improvements
• Collaboration Across Teams — Work closely with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to ensure mission-critical functionality is delivered on time and validated thoroughly
• Continuous Improvement — Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines, flight test reliability, and team efficiency across deployment cycles
• Support Certification and Compliance — Assist with documentation and system-level validation required for certification, airworthiness, and compliance in defense-relevant environments
• Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 30-40% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, and flight integration events)

### Benefits

• Excellent Medical Coverage
• Mental Healt...