Staff Software Engineer, Software Integration & Test

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

What You'll Do:

- Architect and implement high-performance C++ and Python systems across cross-platform environments.

- Lead the design and integration of distributed systems, simulation tools, and third-party hardware/software.

- Define and enforce technical direction, design patterns, and integration practices across projects.

- Guide teams in building robust messaging and API layers (e.g., gRPC, REST, ZeroMQ) that bridge critical system components.

- Own the evolution and support of CI/CD pipelines using GitLab CI, Docker, Conan, and CMake.

- Lead debugging and optimization of real-time and multi-threaded systems across a range of domains.

- Drive end-to-end integration efforts, including planning, implementation, and verification across simulation and operational systems.

- Serve as a force multiplier by mentoring other engineers and contributing to shared tooling and process improvements.

- Evaluate and incorporate new technologies that improve system performance, stability, and developer efficiency.

Required Qualifications:

- Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a

- Bachelor’s degree; or 5 years and a Master’s degree; or 4 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.

- Advanced experience designing and maintaining large C++ systems, with fluency in C++14/17/20 and comfort navigating legacy C++98/03 codebases.

- Proficiency in Linux/Unix environments, including system-level development and debugging tools.

- Strong systems integration background with practical experience in distributed systems, real-time processing, and hardware/software interfaces.

- Significant experience with CI/CD systems, containerization (e.g., Docker), and build tooling (e.g., CMake, Conan).

- Proficiency in Python and familiarity with other scripting and automation tools.

- Deep knowledge of Linux environments (Windows experience is a bonus).

- Demonstrated success leading efforts involving 10+ contributors, including technical planning and mentorship.

- Strong understanding of networking concepts and communication protocols.

Preferred Qualifications:

- Real-time or distributed simulation experience (e.g., AFSIM, NGTS, or similar).

- Familiarity with message-passing infrastructure and web-service technologies like gRPC, REST APIs, and message queues.

- Familiarity with open standards like UCI and OMS, and an understanding of data buses and interface protocols common in avionics and aircraft systems.

- Experience integrating simulation with autonomy frameworks or real-time operators.

- Experience developing and integrating with modeling or analysis pipelines

Our international teammates receive a comprehensive total rewards package aligned to your country office location. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.