Senior Autonomy Integration Engineer

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.  This position is ideal for an individual who thrives on solving complex integration challenges that span hardware, software, and systems engineering. A successful candidate will be skilled at deploying autonomy solutions onto unmanned platforms, preparing systems for flight, and troubleshooting mission-critical issues in both lab and field environments.   The role is highly dynamic, requiring hands-on experience, strong systems thinking, and the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, real-world test conditions. Our Flight Integration Engineers are essential to bridging the gap between R&D and deployment, ensuring that autonomous systems function reliably and effectively when and where they are needed most.  What you'll do: System Integration & Deployment — Integrate autonomy software onto unmanned aircraft systems, ensuring seamless operation across onboard compute, sensors, and control interfaces. Pre-flight Preparation — Own the build, configuration, and validation process for flight-ready systems; coordinate hardware/software compatibility and mission readiness. On-site Flight Test Support — Travel to test sites and support live flight operations, including safety checks, system bring-up, and troubleshooting under time-critical constraints. Hardware/Software Debugging — Diagnose and resolve integration issues across complex autonomy software stacks and embedded systems in lab and field en