Senior Engineer, Autonomy - Tactical Behaviors

Shield AI, a pioneering defense technology company founded in 2015, is seeking a Senior Engineer for their Autonomy - Tactical Behaviors team. This role represents a unique opportunity to work at the cutting edge of autonomous systems development for defense applications.

The position combines classical autonomous systems algorithms with deep reinforcement learning to create advanced solutions for unmanned aircraft operating across air, sea, and land domains. As a Senior Engineer, you'll be responsible for designing and implementing tactical autonomy algorithms that enable complex mission execution with minimal human supervision.

The role offers an exciting challenge for engineers passionate about solving complex problems in autonomous systems. You'll work on developing high-performance software modules for planning and decision-making in dynamic, adversarial environments. The position involves hands-on work with real-world platforms, including participation in field tests and flight demos to validate performance in operational conditions.

Working at Shield AI means joining a global team with offices across the United States and international locations including UAE, Ukraine, and Australia. The company's technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide, making this an opportunity to contribute to meaningful defense capabilities. The position offers competitive compensation ($160,000-$240,000) plus bonus, benefits, and equity, reflecting the high-impact nature of the work.

The ideal candidate will bring strong technical skills in C++ and Python programming, experience with unmanned systems, and a background in robotics technologies. This role requires both technical expertise and excellent collaborative abilities, as you'll work closely with cross-functional teams across perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight testing.

This position is perfect for someone who wants to work at the intersection of classical autonomy and machine learning, contributing to cutting-edge defense technology while solving real-world challenges. The role offers the opportunity to work on diverse projects with near-term program impacts, making it ideal for engineers who want to see their work deployed in meaningful applications.