Principal Engineer, Edge Applications & Mission Systems (R6245)

Shield AI is hiring a Principal Engineer, Edge Applications & Mission Systems (R6245) in San Diego, United States. It pays $220k-$330k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
Tools and skills the posting cites include AI agents, robotics and autonomous systems.
Level files it as a lead role.
Level lists 628 other open roles at Shield AI.
The role was posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Drive technical direction and architecture for edge applications and autonomous agentic workflows on robotic systems.

ai-agentsroboticsautonomous-systemsc2distributed-systemsarchitecture

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.

Job Description:

The Lead Edge Applications and Mission System is responsible to drive the technical direction, architecture, and delivery of our edge application platform for autonomous systems. This platform connects operators, autonomous platforms, mission data, and external command-and-control systems, supporting applications ranging from single-vehicle ground control to coordinated fleet operations and theater-level mission planning and execution.

You will shape a platform that customers and partners can readily integrate, extend, and adapt to new missions. The scope includes ground control stations (GCS), command and control (C2), integration with battle-management systems (BMS), fleet and configuration management, and agentic workflows that help operators plan, supervise, and manage autonomous robotic systems.

As the technical lead, you will combine deep defense-domain knowledge with strong software engineering judgment and a record of shipping operational products. You will remain directly involved in architecture, critical implementation work, and technical problem-solving while aligning engineering teams, product leaders, customers, and other stakeholders around a clear technical roadmap.

How we rate this

Principal Engineer, Edge Applications & Mission Systems (R6245) at Shield AI rates 85 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ 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.

Key facts

Principal Engineer, Edge Applications & Mission Systems (R6245) is an open job at Shield AI.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $220k-$330k a year.
The role is based in San Diego, California.
The job was posted on October 17, 2026.
Seniority: lead.
Applications are handled by Shield AI. Apply on Shield AI

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

AI agentsRoboticsAutonomous SystemsC2Distributed SystemsArchitecture

Questions you could be asked

How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
Tell me about a project where robotics was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where autonomous systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where c2 was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: AI agents, Robotics, Autonomous Systems, C2, and Distributed Systems. 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.
Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.

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