Senior Engineer, Software Integration (R5462)
- Salary
- USD 152,000 - 228,000 / per-year-salary
- Level
- Senior
- Work type
- On-site · San Diego
Not stated in the posting: visa.
Open. First seen 22 October 2026.
About the role
Shield AI's standard text
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.
Job Description:
The Systems & Platform Integration team serves as the engineering bridge between Hivemind autonomy and operational platforms across Shield AI’s Expeditionary and Emerging Operations portfolio. Our mission is to rapidly enable new platform adoption by developing the interfaces, configurations, and integration frameworks required to deploy autonomy capabilities across a diverse portfolio, including XBAT, VBAT, Weapons, Space, Congested Logistics, and Maritime initiatives.
As a Senior Software Integration Engineer, you will lead the integration of Hivemind autonomy onto a diverse portfolio of operational platforms. You will design and implement the software interfaces that connect autonomy with platform control systems, mission computers, payloads, sensors, and communications systems, while solving complex integration challenges across software, hardware, and networking.
You will own integrations throughout their lifecycle—from interface design and implementation, through validation in Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), and Vehicle-in-the-Loop (VIL) environments, to successful demonstrations and operational deployments.
This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys solving complex, cross-disciplinary engineering problems and wants to see autonomy capabilities transition from development into real-world operational use.
What you'll do:
Lead platform integration of Hivemind autonomy across expeditionary and emerging operations platforms.
Develop and maintain software interfaces between autonomy, vehicle subsystems, autopilots, payloads, mission computers, and platform services.
Configure mission-computing environments, including Linux systems, middleware, containers, and deployment pipelines.
Integrate mission hardware and systems, including sensors, payloads, radios, tactical networks, ground control stations, and mission systems.
Develop reusable integration frameworks, platform adapters, and deployment mechanisms that accelerate onboarding of new platforms.
Support SIL, HIL, VIL, and representative integration environments to reduce integration risk before flight and operational testing.
Lead cross-domain debugging and troubleshooting across hardware, embedded software, networking, and autonomy interfaces.
Support demonstrations, exercises, surrogate operations, and customer events.
Coordinate integration activities across autonomy, systems engineering, flight test, program leadership, and external partners.
Mentor junior engineers and help drive engineering best practices across the team.
Required qualifications:
BS in Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
4–7 years of experience integrating and testing robotics, autonomy, aerospace, or similarly complex systems.
Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python, with familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS).
Proficiency in Linux-based development and integration environments.
Experience integrating complex software systems with vehicle platforms, mission-computing environments, payloads, sensors, and communications systems.
Experience with sensor integration and middleware frameworks such as ROS.
Hands-on experience supporting field tests, demonstrations, or operational events.
Strong systems engineering, debugging, and troubleshooting skills.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Preferred qualifications:
Experience with flight-control systems such as ArduPilot or PX4.
Experience with unmanned aerial systems, including fixed-wing aircraft, quadrotors, or both.
Background in autonomy, robotics, or aerospace systems.
Familiarity with flight controllers, radios, and communications systems.
Experience with CI/CD pipelines and modern software deployment practices.
#LI-LD1
#LC
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.
Shield AI's standard text
###
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.
What this role asks for
Particular to this role
RTOS
Rare in Shield AI's other 299 open postings.
Standard for software engineering roles
Python
Common in software engineering postings at any company.
81% of this description is written for the role. The rest is Shield AI's standard text, folded away below.
Compared with Shield AI's other open jobs.
The team: Integration & Test HIRES STEADILY
This role is one of 28 open in Integration & Test. 16 were posted in the last 30 days and the oldest in January: a team that hires all year rather than one being built.
WHAT THE TEAM WORKS WITH, ACROSS ITS POSTINGS
Python (24 of 28), Linux (21 of 28), CI/CD (18 of 28), C++ (17 of 28), Test Automation (17 of 28), Git (15 of 28), Docker (12 of 28)
OTHER ROLES ON THIS TEAM
- Engineer I, Software - Factory Team (R6235) posted Oct 10
- Engineer II, Flight Test (R6222) posted Oct 10
- Engineer II, Software Test and Automation (R6221) posted Oct 10
- Engineer I, Flight Test (R6219) posted Oct 10
- Engineer II, Software - Factory (R6217) posted Oct 10
- Engineer I, Software Test and Automation (R6216) posted Oct 10
- Engineer I, Software Integration (R6214) posted Oct 9
- Staff Engineer, HMS DevOps/DevEx (R6196) posted Oct 8
- Engineer I, Simulation Framework (R6203) posted Oct 7
- Engineer II, Integration (R6202) posted Oct 7
- Engineer II, Simulation Framework (R6204) posted Oct 7
- Senior Engineer, HMS Simulation Framework (R6058) posted Sep 24
- Senior Engineer, System Integration Test (R6086) posted Sep 24
- Staff Engineer, Flight Test (R6064) posted Sep 24
- Staff Engineer, System Test Network (R6030) posted Sep 24
- Staff Engineer, Integration (R6009) posted Sep 23
- Senior Staff Engineer, Test Director (R5446) posted Sep 14
- Senior Staff Engineer, Systems Integration (R5415) posted Sep 4
- Senior Engineer, Platform Infrastructure (R5516) posted Aug 4
- Staff Engineer, GenAI Tooling & DevEx (R5469) posted Jul 31
- Manager, Software Test & Automation (R5461) posted Jul 22
- Staff Engineer, AI Factory (R5276) posted Jul 1
- Senior Engineer, Autonomy Software Integration & Test (R5225) posted Jun 12
- Director, Test Engineering - ACP Programs posted May 23
- Engineer II, Systems Test (R5038) posted May 23
- Senior Engineer, Systems Test (R5038) posted May 23
- Senior Engineer, Software Test and Automation (R4472) posted Jan 31
From the team and dates on Shield AI's own job board.
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