As the Director of Engineering for Hivemind Pilot, you will lead a talented team of autonomy and AI engineers responsible for the architecture, software development, and integration of Shield AI's core AI & Autonomy product. This role requires a blend of technical expertise in autonomy and software engineering, leadership, and strategic vision to drive the development of AI pilots for unmanned aerial vehicles.
What You'll Do:
- Drive the technical direction and execution of the Hivemind Pilot product.
- Lead a 40-50 person engineering team in developing and maintaining the architecture and software components of the Hivemind Pilot, along with many representative implementations.
- Support the specialization of the Hivemind Pilot and integration for customer projects.
- Manage competing business priorities and technical needs to create high quality engineering plans and deliver capabilities on time within budget.
- Manage the software development life cycle for the Hivemind Pilot.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including program management, product management, sales, and customer success, to ensure successful product development and deployment.
- Review customer requirements and decompose them into systems/engineering requirements.
- Hire A-players at both manager and IC level to meet business objectives.
- Foster a high-performance culture through mentorship, talent development, and effective team management.
- Stay calm under pressure to keep team members aligned and focused.
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices in AI and autonomy development.
Required Qualifications:
- MS in Computer Science, Autonomy, Robotics, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- 15+ years of total industry experience
- 9+ years of experience in building and leading engineering teams
- 5+ years of industry experience of building and leading a team of teams for mid-sized teams of 25-50 people.
- Proven track record of successful product launches in Autonomy/AI/Robotics as a manager.
- Strong expertise in autonomy and C++ software development.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.
- Experience with agile development methodologies.
- Proven experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while manage multiple evolving priorities effectively.
- Demonstrable experience in writing C++ code in past projects
- Proficiency in development tools like Git, Jira, Azure Devops, GitHub, SharePoint, M365, etc.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Computer Science, Autonomy, Robotics, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- Domain expertise in unmanned aerial vehicle systems/autonomous vehicles
- Familiarity with multi-agent systems/swarming, computer vision, and sensor integration.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think strategically.
- Knowledge of industry trends and emerging technologies in AI and robotics.
- 2+ years of experience working at high-growth startups.
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What We Do
Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Our Hivemind autonomy stack is the first and only autonomous AI Pilot, deployed in combat since 2018. Hivemind enables intelligent teams of aircraft to perform missions ranging from room clearance, to penetrating air defense systems, and dogfighting F-16s.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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