Level

Shield AI

Forward Deployed Engineer, Autonomy (open level)

Shield AI is hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer, Autonomy (open level) for a remote role open to applicants in United States. It pays $152k-$318k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.

AI in this role

Deploy autonomous software and AI products on-site with international defense customers.

crust
roboticsautonomycustomer-facingdeployment
Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Our Applications Engineers are highly technical, customer-facing problem solvers who play a critical role in deploying Shield AI’s Hivemind software in real-world environments. This role is travel-intensive, with frequent trips, often international, and sometimes lasting multiple weeks, to work directly alongside customers on-site.

This is primarily a Senior-level role, and we’re typically looking for candidates with several years of relevant industry experience. That said, we will consider exceptional mid-level engineers who demonstrate strong technical fundamentals, a hands-on mindset, and a track record of taking initiative in dynamic, customer-driven environments

In this role, you will work closely with customers to understand their requirements, provide technical expertise during deployment, and ensure successful integration of our AI and autonomy products. You’ll also collaborate internally with engineering teams, with opportunities to grow into technical leadership over time.

You Should Apply If:

  • You’re excited about a travel-heavy role and enjoy being on-site with customers, including international and multi-week engagements

  • You’re a strong technical contributor (or early in your career and eager to grow) who takes initiative and figures things out

  • You enjoy problem solving, building relationships, and working at the intersection of engineering and real-world deployment

  • You’re passionate about autonomy, robotics, or aerospace

You Should Not Apply If:

  • You prefer minimal travel or want to work primarily from a single location

  • You want to do 100% R&D and don’t enjoy customer interactions

  • You’ve never programmed in C, C++, or Rust

How we rate this

Forward Deployed Engineer, Autonomy (open level) at Shield AI rates 70 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.

  1. ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
  2. ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
  3. ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
  4. ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

RoboticsAutonomyCustomer FacingDeploymentCRust

Also common in forward deployed engineer jobs at this level

Pay

This job starts at
$152k
Typical forward deployed engineer job
$182k

This posting starts 16% below the typical forward deployed engineer job. See forward deployed engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

  1. Tell me about a project where robotics was part of your work. What did you do?
  2. Tell me about a project where autonomy was part of your work. What did you do?
  3. Tell me about a project where customer facing was part of your work. What did you do?
  4. Tell me about a project where deployment was part of your work. What did you do?
  5. Walk me through how you've used C in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

  • List these exact terms on your resume: Robotics, Autonomy, Customer Facing, Deployment, and C. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
  • Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
  • Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.

Want an expert to read your CV for this job?

Free. Send your CV and the role you want next. We reply by email within 2 to 4 business days.

Get new remote forward deployed engineer jobs (Works on AI ●●●○ or higher) by email

One email a week with the new remote forward deployed engineer jobs (Works on AI ●●●○ or higher), each rated for how much AI is in the work. No recruiter spam, unsubscribe in one click.

Free. One email a week. Unsubscribe in one click.

Similar roles

Sales roles that work on AI, at other companies.

What kind of AI work fits you?

Answer 12 practical questions in about three minutes. Get a simple profile, the work it points to, and live roles to explore next.

Find my next step

More jobs at Shield AI

More forward deployed engineer jobs

Related searches

Same AI level