Software Autonomy Middleware Engineer - Temporary (R2969, R2970)

About Shield AI

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown jets (F-16; MQM-178 Firejet), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (MQ-35 V-BAT), and three quadcopters (Nova, Nova 2, iPRD). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington DC and abroad. Shield AI’s products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies.

Join Shield AI’s EdgeOS team as a C++ Software Engineer and become part of a talented group shaping the future of robotics and autonomy. The EdgeOS team is a core component of the Hivemind team, responsible for developing Shield AI’s critical robotics ecosystem. This platform integrates with various teams to enable cutting-edge autonomy solutions. 

EdgeOS is a foundational, extensible platform offering developer-facing capabilities to build autonomous systems for aircraft. It provides critical functionalities such as scheduling, logging, playback, and multi-agent communications. Designed to support all stages of development—from simulation to real-world operations—EdgeOS positions itself as a competitor to the Robot Operating System (ROS), offering optimized and opinionated solutions for autonomous systems. 

What you'll do:

• Develop, test, and/or troubleshoot software in C++ (primary) and Python. 
• Add features to our middleware and communications software, EdgeOS, that is used to develop the autonomy software. 
• Add and refine examples and documentation around new and existing features to ensure they are well understood and easy to use. 
• Work with external stakeholders to support feature integration into upstream systems. 
• Support systems integration execution across EdgeOS components. 

Required qualifications:

• Typically requires 2 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 1 year and a Master’s degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work experience. 
• Industry or Internship experience developing C++ software in Linux environment. 
• Strong skills in C++ and Software Engineering. 
• Great written and verbal communication. 
• Demonstrated history of showing ownership of project outcomes and delivering exceptional results.
• Record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others. 

Preferred qualifications:

• ROS (or comparable middleware) and/or robotics experience. 
• Experience with networking and communication protocols. 
• Experience with safety-critical systems. 
• Embedded systems experience.

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Total package details for U.S. based positions:

- Regular employee positions: Salary within range listed above + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

- Temporary employee positions: Hourly within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days

of employment)

- Interns/Military Fellows/Part-time not eligible for bonus, benefits or equity

Total package details for International based positions (where applicable):

- International premium, hardship differential, cost of living differential, living quarters allowance, foreign service transfer

allowance, equity, international benefits, visa assistance, and relocation assistance.

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.

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.