Staff Engineer, Test and Software (R2926)

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.    

Are you a passionate and innovative engineer looking to help develop state-of-the-art AI and robotics products? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission driven and values focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you!

The Hivemind Test team is on mission to build a complete and robust testing infrastructure that supports the development and integration of the world’s best AI pilot. Hivemind Test is dedicated to ensuring the highest level of quality, reliability, and performance in our Hivemind ecosystem. This ecosystem includes software systems for autonomy behaviors, ground-embedded devices, test frameworks, and more. Our group is charged with control systems, multi-network communications, operating systems, validating and verifying that the entire Hivemind software ecosystem is operationally ready to meet mission objectives and reliability standards. This is achieved via a cross-functional team, with skills ranging from autonomy system engineering, robotics integration, software development, test engineering, and quality-assurance.

We are seeking an expert Software Engineer that is motivated to join us on our mission, someone who has experience designing and implementing innovative software solutions for hardware deployment, test automation, and data analysis. This engineer will play a critical role in architecting and building software systems, collaborating with testers and developers to identify and root cause bugs, and help define the best approaches to software API test coverage. 

What You'll Do:

• Architect innovative automation frameworks that enhance testing efficiency and effectiveness. 
• Implement new software solutions for test automation and hardware integration.
• Develop software that interfaces with a variety of external APIs, embedded systems, and hardware components. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand testing needs and develop scalable automation solutions. 
• Champion high-quality software engineering standards, including clean architecture, code review processes, and documentation. 
• Become a super-user of our state-of-the-art AI software product. Learn to automate multi-agent scenarios, analyze robotic data, and validate test cases. 
• Design test suites validating software APIs. 
• Work with integration teams to implement test solutions on prototype robotic hardware platforms. 
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior team members. 

Required Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree in CS, Comp Eng, Robotics, or a related field; or 6 years and a master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD. 
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or C++. 
• Experience with hardware or embedded systems. 
• Demonstrated experience building complex systems with, with a strong understanding of software architecture and design principles. 
• Demonstrated experience of designing, communicating, and managing test cases, and reporting bugs. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proven track record of delivering high-quality software solutions. 
• Excellent communication skills, capable of collaborating effectively across various teams and presenting to customers or technical leadership. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with TypeScript. 
• Expert knowledge of Python. 
• Experience with ROS. 
• Proficiency with simulation tools and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environments. 
• Strong expertise with CI/CD pipelines. 
• Familiarity with networking, operating-systems, and radio communications. 

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.