# Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities (R5339) at Shield AI

Shield AI is hiring a Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Capabilities (R5339) in San Mateo, United States. It pays $196k-$294k a year and Level rates it Little AI ●○○○; you can [apply on Shield AI](https://jobsbylevel.com/go/9db372ac-901e-49ef-9cb5-0d6edaabf113?utm_medium=ai-agent).

AI Level 1, AI centrality 11 out of 100. San Mateo, California.

## Details

- Company: [Shield AI](https://jobsbylevel.com/companies/shield-ai)
- AI level: AI Level 1 (score 11 out of 100)
- Location: San Mateo, California
- Salary: $196k-$294k
- Posted: September 1, 2026
- Apply: https://jobsbylevel.com/go/9db372ac-901e-49ef-9cb5-0d6edaabf113?utm_medium=ai-agent
- Free CV review for this job: https://jobsbylevel.com/cv-review?job=senior-software-engineer-autonomy-capabilities-r5339-at-shield-ai-15faf9

## Description

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 . The Autonomy Capabilities Team develops functionality to automate single- and multi-agent teams of platforms in pursuit of mission objectives and acts as a central discipline-aligned focal-point for encouraging consistent usage of technical approaches across business portfolios. This team operates at all levels of the command-and-control hierarchy (from advanced control laws, through motion planning, and up to advanced tactical behaviors and multi-agent coordination) and across a multitude of mission sets, platform types, and operational domains (e.g., air, sea, space). The team puts a strong emphasis on both fundamentals (e.g., aircraft kinematics/dynamics, trajectory design, optimization, information fusion, efficient algorithms, etc.) and software integration skillsets (e.g. structures, protocols, threading, interface management, etc.) to bring market-differentiating capabilities to customers that seamlessly operate within their integration contexts. This position is perfect for an individual who enjoys solving complex problems across a diverse set of programs and integration contexts. An ideal candidate is expected to address operational system needs through a multitude of advanced methodologies that blend traditional control system approaches with advanced optimization. Developed solutions are expected to be integrated into real-world platforms with near-term program impacts and rewards and so balancing theory with practice and rigorous implementation is paramount. What You'll Do: Tactical Autonomy Design – Design tactical autonomy algorithms to enable unmanned aircraft to perform complex missions across air, land, and sea domains with minimal human supervision. High-Performance Software Development – Develop high-performance software modules that incorporate planning, decision-making, and behavior execution strategies for dynamic and adversarial environments. Behavior Architecture Implementation – Implement and test behavior architectures that enable multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios. Hybrid Autonomy Integration – Work at the intersection of classical autonomy and machine learning, blending rule-based systems with learning-based methods such as reinforcement learning to achieve robust, adaptive behavior. Cross-Functional Collaboration – Collaborate with cross-functional teams including perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight test to ensure seamless integration of autonomy solutions on real-world platforms. Deployment & Field Testing – Deploy autonomy capabilities to real platforms and participate in field tests and flight demos, validating performance in operationally relevant conditions. Mission Data Analysis – Analyze mission logs and performance data to diagnose failures, optimize behavior models, and inform iterative development. R&D and Roadmapping – Contribute to the autonomy roadmap by researching and prototyping new algorithms, identifying tactical capability gaps, and proposing novel solutions that advance Shield AI’s mission. Program Support & Adaptation – Support defense-focused programs and customer needs by adapting autonomy solutions to evolving mission sets, compliance requirements, and operational feedback. Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10-15% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, and flight integration events). Required Qualifications: BS/MS in

The description is cut here. Read the full offer: https://jobsbylevel.com/jobs/senior-software-engineer-autonomy-capabilities-r5339-at-shield-ai-15faf9

Source: https://jobsbylevel.com/jobs/senior-software-engineer-autonomy-capabilities-r5339-at-shield-ai-15faf9

## Cite this page

Level. https://jobsbylevel.com/jobs/senior-software-engineer-autonomy-capabilities-r5339-at-shield-ai-15faf9.

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