Chief Engineer, Autonomy

Shield AI, founded in 2015, is a cutting-edge defense technology company dedicated to protecting service members and civilians through intelligent autonomous systems. As the Chief Engineer of Autonomy, you'll play a crucial role in advancing their mission by leading the development and deployment of advanced autonomy solutions for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

The position is based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where you'll lead a team of 6-20 engineers in developing cutting-edge autonomous capabilities for both business-to-business and defense contracts. You'll be the chief authority on system architecture, design, and development, ensuring the successful integration of Hivemind Autonomy across various aircraft platforms, from small UAS to large autonomous collaborative systems.

This role combines technical leadership with hands-on engineering, requiring deep expertise in autonomy, robotics, and software development. You'll need 10+ years of industry experience in autonomy or UAS platforms, along with 7+ years of delivering software in high-reliability environments. Your responsibilities will include shaping DoD autonomy architectures, managing technical requirements, and ensuring product quality.

The position offers a competitive salary range of $200,319 - $300,479 annually, plus a comprehensive international benefits package. You'll be working with Shield AI's international team through their Employer of Record (EOR) arrangement, contributing to a global organization with offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi, Kyiv, and Melbourne.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced technical leader who wants to make a meaningful impact in defense technology while working with state-of-the-art autonomous systems. You'll be at the forefront of developing technology that directly contributes to the safety and security of service members and civilians worldwide, working with products like Hivemind Enterprise, V-BAT, and Sentient Vision Systems.