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.
As a Platform Software Engineer on the Hivemind Forge team, you will shape the infrastructure and tools enabling the development of advanced autonomy systems. You will contribute to the design of intuitive web applications, robust APIs, and developer-friendly SDKs that empower autonomy engineers to create, refine, and deploy Hivemind’s capabilities in both simulated and real-world environments. We seek engineers with a passion for building scalable, high-performance solutions and the technical expertise to deliver exceptional user experiences.
What You'll Do:
- Design and implement robust data models and database architectures to support distributed systems.
- Develop scalable backend services and APIs to power Forge’s infrastructure and tooling.
- Build systems for virtualization, containerization, and orchestration, ensuring optimal performance across cloud, on-premises, and local environments.
- Architect and deploy resilient infrastructure for managing high-throughput data pipelines and complex simulation workloads.
- Design and implement networked systems, integrating advanced protocols and middleware to enable seamless communication across autonomous agents and backend systems.
- Contribute to tools and infrastructure that support secure, efficient deployment of Forge on varied hardware platforms.
- Create and maintain clear, detailed documentation for internal and external users of Forge’s platform capabilities.
Required Qualifications:
- 8-15 + years of experience designing and delivering production-grade, scalable software systems.
- Advanced proficiency with Golang and Python for systems programming and backend development.
- 3+ years of experience with cloud computing platforms, container orchestration, and virtualization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, VMware).
- Expertise in designing and optimizing relational databases, data models, and high-throughput pipelines.
- Strong understanding of network protocols (e.g., UDP, TCP) and hands-on experience with building distributed networked applications.
- Familiarity with systems programming concepts such as concurrency, performance optimization, and resource management.
- Experience deploying secure, reliable infrastructure in hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
- BS/MS in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively, mentor team members, and deliver results in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with Helm charts and automated infrastructure deployment tools.
- Familiarity with tools for low-level network analysis and debugging, such as Wireshark or Serf.
- Knowledge of CUE for configuration management and schema validation.
- Experience with virtualization platforms and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environments.
- Background in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated industry with a focus on secure and compliant software practices.
- Proficiency in additional systems-level programming languages such as C++ or Rust.
- Hands-on experience with distributed systems, event-driven architectures, and canary deployments.
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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.
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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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