Senior Software Engineer, Perception and Computer Vision (R3125)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide.  For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.    

Shield AI is building a world-class autonomy stack for intelligent aircraft. As a Senior Software Engineer on the Perception team within our Hivemind Pilot organization, you will design, implement, and optimize image and video processing algorithms that empower autonomous systems to understand and operate in complex real-world environments. 

You’ll work closely with senior team members guiding the design of the computer vision pipeline, and you’ll contribute to the full software development lifecycle—from architecture and implementation to test and release. 

What you'll do:

• Develop and optimize C++ software modules for video and image processing, including components like: 
• Denoising, cropping, filtering, feature extraction, and object classification 
• Integration of open-source frameworks such as OpenCV and GStreamer 
• Work closely with other computer vision experts to implement high-performance, modular computer vision pipelines 
• Develop and enhance various testing modalities (e.g., digital simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and flight testing) to mature the perception software stack 
• Contribute to real-time processing and deployment of EO/IR video streams on embedded hardware 
• Participate in code reviews, architecture discussions, and test planning 
• Deliver production-quality code used in safety-critical autonomy systems 

Required Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of experience in C++ software development, preferably in a Linux environment 
• Familiarity with image and video processing techniques and tools 
• Experience with at least one of: OpenCV, GStreamer, FFmpeg, or equivalent 
• Solid understanding of software engineering best practices: version control, CI/CD, testing 
• Growth mindset and ability to work under the mentorship of a more senior technical lead 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with real-time video pipelines or embedded perception systems 
• Experience deploying software and algorithms to military platforms 
• Familiarity with EO/IR camera models and calibration 
• Background in robotics, computer vision, or aerospace systems 
• Contributions to open-source vision libraries 

Why join us?

• At Shield AI, you will work on cutting-edge technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomous systems. This role offers the opportunity to lead the technical direction of a critical component in our perception stack while collaborating with a team of talented engineers and researchers. Your work will have a direct impact on enabling advanced robotics for defense and beyond. 

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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.

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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.