Level

Shield AI

Software Development Engineer - New Graduate

Shield AI is hiring a Software Development Engineer - New Graduate in San Diego, United States. It pays $77k-$211k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.

AI in this role

Design, test, and ship autonomy software and embedded firmware for intelligent aerospace systems.

cpythonroslinux
computer-visionembedded-systemsroboticssensor-fusion
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. 

We are seeking Autonomous Software Engineers for full-time roles starting in 2027! This is a paid, in-person, full-time position for students graduating during the 2026-2027 academic year. We are now reviewing applications for positions starting after graduation in 2027. 

What you'll do

  • Design, implement, test, and ship C++ and/or Python features, tools, and tests alongside experienced engineers.

  • Write embedded firmware in C/C++ for real-time software that controls our advanced UAV while in flight.

  • Develop tests, reporters, and tooling in Python to validate software behavior and performance.

  • Develop and evaluate autonomy software across areas such as mission behavior, planning, multi-agent coordination, decision-making, platform integration, or perception (object detection, tracking, sensor fusion, localization, situational awareness, or AI/ML-enabled workflows).

  • Build unit and integration tests, run and analyze simulation or bench results, and investigate failures using logs, telemetry, traces, and debugging tools.

  • Support software integration across autonomy capabilities, platform/vehicle interfaces, sensors, perception products, mission compute, and operator or command-and-control (C2) systems, including simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and bench testing.

  • Work with real and simulated data from cameras, EO/IR sensors, IMUs, GPS, radars, or other mission payloads.

  • Work cross-functionally with electrical and mechanical engineers to help determine and validate software requirements.

  • Write documentation for setup steps, interface assumptions, configuration, test procedures, and findings to make workflows repeatable.

  • Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and test debriefs, and take on more ownership of features and fixes over time.

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer - New Graduate 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.

  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

A free preview built only from this posting: what it asks for, what you could be asked in an interview, and how to adjust your resume.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Computer visionEmbedded SystemsRoboticsSensor FusionCPythonRosLinux

Questions you could be asked

  1. Walk me through a computer vision problem you solved, from raw data to a deployed model.
  2. Tell me about a project where embedded systems was part of your work. What did you do?
  3. Tell me about a project where robotics was part of your work. What did you do?
  4. Tell me about a project where sensor fusion 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: Computer vision, Embedded Systems, Robotics, Sensor Fusion, 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.
  • 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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