Skip to content

Shield AI

Staff Engineer, Core Platform Integration (R5411)

Shield AI is hiring a Staff Engineer, Core Platform Integration (R5411) in San Diego, United States. It pays $190k-$290k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Shield AI.

Level's read on this job

  • Little AI ●○○○ is how Level rates this role: aI is not part of the work.
  • Level classes it as a lead role.
  • Shield AI has 659 other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

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:

Build the foundation for the next generation of autonomous systems. In this role, you'll develop and integrate the core software and platform infrastructure that powers mission-critical technology, working across teams to deliver reliable, scalable solutions from development through deployment.

What you'll do:

  • Own platform integration across SIL, HIL, VIL, and edge deployment workflows, ensuring components work together reliably and are easy for developers to use.
  • Build and maintain reference work spaces, platform reference implementations, and tooling that accelerate development, testing, deployment, and validation.
  • Integrate platform-level software across hardware, sensors, controllers, APIs, configuration, orchestration, and fleet/device management systems.
  • Support embedded platform bring-up and hardware diversification across developer boards, iron birds, aircraft/vehicle test platforms, and other reference hardware.
  • Improve platform stability, API quality, developer experience, and system scalability for mission-critical product and customer commitments.
  • Partner with autonomy, hardware, product, and program teams to identify integration gaps and deliver durable solutions.

Required qualifications:

  • 5+ years experience with strong software engineering experience in robotics, autonomy, embedded systems, distributed systems, or similarly complex platforms.
  • Strong experience with C++ and Python and experience building developer tools, configuration systems, orchestration frameworks, or automation.
  • Experience integrating and debugging software across Linux-based systems, hardware interfaces, deployment environments, and APIs, including use of measurement or diagnostic tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or protocol analyzers to debug embedded communication interfaces.
  • B.S. or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
  • Ability to work independently in ambiguous technical areas and drive cross-functional integration efforts to completion.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills

Preferred qualifications:

  • Experience with SIL, HIL, and VIL workflows for autonomy, robotics, aerospace, automotive, or defense systems.
  • Experience with embedded Linux, BSP development, build systems, device trees, bootloaders, or hardware bring-up.
  • Experience with edge deployment, device discovery, fleet management, OTA workflows, or application deployment to remote devices.
  • Experience with platforms such as Jetson, Qualcomm, i.MX8, or similar embedded compute hardware.
  • Experience integrating sensor drivers, controller interfaces, vehicle interfaces, hardware abstraction layers, or reference test platforms.
#LI-DM2 #LD
Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment) Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information. ### Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

How we rate this

Staff Engineer, Core Platform Integration (R5411) at Shield AI rates 24 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

  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. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Get new software engineering jobs by email

One email a week, each job rated for how much AI is in the work. No recruiter spam, unsubscribe in one click.

Free.

Similar roles

Software Engineering roles that involve little 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

Related searches

Same AI level

Jobs by city