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Engineer, Autonomous Systems Integration (R6266)

Shield AI· Hivemind Solutions Division – Applications Engineering
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San Diego, California$130k - $190kFull Time EmployeePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Senior, hands-on UxS Integration and Systems Expert to ensure Hivemind can be developed, tested, demonstrated, and supported on representative unmanned systems. Role spans autonomy software, unmanned aircraft, onboard compute, networking, radios, sensors, flight controllers, simulation, test operations, and customer-facing demonstrations. High-level technical leadership combining architecture, benchtop integration, field execution, and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as a senior technical focal point for Hivemind integration and test readiness across unmanned aircraft, robotic systems, representative test vehicles, onboard compute, radios, sensors, payloads, and supporting ground equipment.
  • Lead hands-on integration and troubleshooting efforts that span autonomy software, hardware, flight controllers, communications systems, networking, operator interfaces, and field operations.
  • Partner with engineering, test, product, operations, field, and customer-facing teams to evaluate new platforms and determine how they can best support Hivemind development, validation, training, demonstrations, and customer objectives.
  • Help take systems from early concept or benchtop integration through representative test, field execution, and operationally relevant demonstrations.
  • Provide senior-level technical judgment on platform suitability, integration complexity, test readiness, risk, safety, maintainability, cost, availability, and customer value.
  • Support test planning and execution across simulated, hardware-in-the-loop, live-vehicle, and flight-test environments while keeping the role focused on practical system readiness and evidence quality.
  • Help define clear readiness criteria, test expectations, operating assumptions, and handoff points for representative hardware used by Hivemind teams.
  • Diagnose complex cross-disciplinary issues and help route them effectively across software, autonomy, hardware, flight-test, networking, and operations stakeholders.
  • Contribute to test methods, metrics, and evidence practices that improve confidence in Hivemind behavior across representative and real-world environments.
  • Support automation, tooling, and data-review practices that improve repeatability, reduce manual burden, and make hardware-based testing easier to operate at scale.
  • Capture and share practical knowledge from platform bring-up, test events, flight operations, and customer-facing demonstrations so teams can reuse lessons learned.
  • Mentor engineers and operators on systems integration, hardware readiness, field troubleshooting, test discipline, and practical autonomy test execution.

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in UxS or UAS systems integration, robotics hardware integration, autonomy test operations, flight test, field engineering, embedded systems, or similar hands-on technical roles.
  • Demonstrated experience leading complex integration efforts across hardware, software, autonomy, networking, communications, sensors, and operational test environments.
  • Strong practical experience bringing up, configuring, operating, and troubleshooting unmanned systems, onboard compute, flight controllers, radios, sensors, ground stations, and supporting test equipment.
  • Working knowledge of Linux, embedded systems, networking, system configuration, data collection, logs, services, and field diagnostics.
  • Experience with unmanned-systems autopilot or flight-control ecosystems such as PX4, ArduPilot, MAVLink, Pixhawk/Cube-class flight controllers, QGroundControl, Mission Planner, or equivalent systems.
  • Experience supporting testing across simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, live-vehicle, field, or flight-test environments.
  • Ability to develop and communicate test plans, readiness criteria, operating assumptions, technical recommendations, and post-test findings for cross-functional audiences.
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills across ambiguous, cross-disciplinary technical issues.
  • Ability to lead through influence across engineering, test, product, operations, field, and customer-facing teams.
  • Familiarity with scripting, automation, or data-analysis workflows using Python, Bash, MATLAB, or similar tools.
  • Strong ownership, urgency, and judgment in fast-moving environments where requirements, platforms, and constraints may evolve quickly.
  • Ability to comply with export-control, safety, security, customer-site, and mission-specific operating requirements.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.

Skills

Required:UxS/UAS systems integrationHardware-software integrationLinux and embedded systemsAutopilot/flight-control ecosystemsTest planning and readinessCross-functional leadership
Nice to have:Scripting/automation

Benefits

  • Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
  • Temporary benefits package after 60 days of employment
  • Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Shield AI

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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

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