# Senior Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Pilot Integration (R5402) at Shield AI

- Company: Shield AI
- What the company does: Autonomy for the world. Backed by a16z.
- Company website: https://shield.ai
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Senior
- Location: San Mateo, California
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $281K to $421K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-09-01
- Apply by: 2026-10-16
- Apply: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/bb87c070-f5bb-41ea-80e5-76e6f7f07a4e
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/shield-ai-senior-staff-software-engineer-autonomous-pilot-integration-r5402/

## About the role

The Autonomous Pilot Integration team builds autonomy solutions for a wide range of CONOPs and mission sets. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., track fusion), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on an unmanned platform — air, maritime, space, or effects/expendables, depending on the program — then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware.

## What they're looking for

- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience
- Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or 9 years and a Master’s degree, or 7 years with a PhD, or equivalent work experience
- Proficiency in C++, with experience developing or integrating real-time or latency-sensitive systems
- Proficiency in Linux-based development and experience working with embedded systems, shell scripting, and system diagnostics
- Familiarity with middleware, pub-sub, or IPC frameworks used in autonomy or robotics systems (e.g., DDS, message buses)
- Hands-on experience supporting demos, exercises, or field/mission tests for unmanned or autonomous systems

Tags: Flight System Integration