Role Details

Location

Washington, DC

Salary (est. USD)

~$140K - $220K (est. USD)

Estimated based on role seniority, company stage (Series F), and industry benchmarks. Actual compensation may vary.

How is this calculated?

Seniority band Senior / Lead

Base range $140K – $220K

Based on Web3 & AI industry compensation data. Seniority is inferred from role title keywords. Company stage affects ranges: early-stage (−15%), late-stage/public (+10%).

Department

Flight System Integration

Type

Full-time

Vertical

Robotics

Hiring Manager

Best Guess

Job Description

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the 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. We are seeking a skilled and motivated manager to lead technical teams and support direct projects integrating autonomy solutions for defense platforms.

Shield AI is committed to developing cutting-edge autonomy for unmanned aircraft operating across all Department of Defense (DoD) domains, including air, sea, and land. 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:

Multidisciplinary Team Leadership – Lead teams across autonomy, integration, and testing by aligning technical efforts, resolving cross-functional challenges, and driving mission-focused execution. Balance hands-on technical oversight with performance optimization, innovation, and clear stakeholder communication.

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 environments.

Flight Data Capture & Analysis — Manage data collection during missions and post-test analysis, working with autonomy engineers to refine behaviors and identify improvements.

Collaboration Across Teams — Work closely with autonomy, GNC, systems, and test teams to ensure mission-critical functionality is delivered on time and validated thoroughly.

Continuous Improvement — Build tools and processes to improve integration timelines, flight test reliability, and team efficiency across deployment cycles.

Support Certification and Compliance — Assist with documentation and system-level validation required for certification, airworthiness, and compliance in defense-relevant environments.

Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 30-40% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, and flight integration events).

Required Qualifications:

BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience

Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 9 years and a Master’s degree; or 7 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.

7+ years of experience in Unmanned Systems programs in the DoD or applied R&D

2+ years of people leadership experience

Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python, and familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS).

Proficiency in Linux-based development a