Staff Engineer, Autonomy (R5684)

Shield AI is hiring a Staff Engineer, Autonomy (R5684) in Melbourne, Australia. Level rates it ; you can apply on Shield AI.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
The posting mentions C, Ros and robotics among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a senior role.
Shield AI has 666 other open roles on Level.
Posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Design, build, and deploy real-world autonomous capabilities and AI pilots for uncrewed aircraft systems.

cros

roboticscomputer-visionsensor-fusionpath-planning

Shield AI is a venture-backed defence technology company building intelligent autonomous systems for aircraft. Our mission is to protect service members and civilians through AI and autonomy.
We’re on the lookout for an experienced Staff Engineer, Autonomy to join our Hivemind Solutions team and help design, build, and deploy real-world autonomous capabilities for uncrewed systems. This is a hands-on engineering role, blending software development with robotics, perception, and path planning. You’ll be joining a high-performing team shaping the future of AI pilots for solving real-world problems. If you’re a capable C++ developer with a passion for robotics and autonomy, this is your chance to make a real impact.

What you'll do:

As a Staff Engineer, Autonomy, you’ll work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, task & motion planning and controls.

Design and implement autonomous behaviours for uncrewed aircraft.
Work with real sensor data and build robust sensor fusion solutions.
Develop and test autonomy systems in high-fidelity software and hardware in-the-loop simulations.
Integrate Shield AI autonomy products together with third-party aircraft and systems.
Collaborate across AI, robotics, and systems engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions.
Contribute to architecture, code quality, design reviews and best practices.
Lead and Mentor junior engineers

Required Qualifications:

A tertiary level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics or a related field
Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems
Strong experience in modern C++
Significant experience in building and delivering reliable software systems, ideally in fast-paced environments

Preferred Qualifications:

A tertiary level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics or a related field
Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems
Strong experience in modern C++
Significant experience in building and delivering reliable software systems, ideally in fast-paced environments

How we rate this

Staff Engineer, Autonomy (R5684) 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. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Staff Engineer, Autonomy (R5684) is an open job at Shield AI.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The role is based in Melbourne.
The job was posted on October 26, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
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

RoboticsComputer visionSensor FusionPath PlanningCRos

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where robotics was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through a computer vision problem you solved, from raw data to a deployed model.
Tell me about a project where sensor fusion was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where path planning was part of your work. What did you do?
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, Computer vision, Sensor Fusion, Path Planning, 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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