Senior Staff Engineer, Autonomy Behaviors (R4073)

Tactical Autonomy Design

Design tactical autonomy algorithms to enable unmanned aircraft to perform complex missions across air, land, and sea domains with minimal human supervision.

High-Performance Software Development

Develop high-performance software modules that incorporate planning, decision-making, and behavior execution strategies for dynamic and adversarial environments.

Behavior Architecture Implementation

Implement and test behavior architectures that enable multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability in contested scenarios.

Hybrid Autonomy Integration

Work at the intersection of classical autonomy and machine learning, blending rule-based systems with learning-based methods such as reinforcement learning to achieve robust, adaptive behavior.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborate with cross-functional teams including perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight test to ensure seamless integration of autonomy solutions on real-world platforms.

Deployment & Field Testing

Deploy autonomy capabilities to real platforms and participate in field tests and flight demos, validating performance in operationally relevant conditions.

Mission Data Analysis

Analyze mission logs and performance data to diagnose failures, optimize behavior models, and inform iterative development.

R&D and Roadmapping

Contribute to the autonomy roadmap by researching and prototyping new algorithms, identifying tactical capability gaps, and proposing novel solutions that advance Shield AI’s mission.

Program Support & Adaptation

Support defense-focused programs and customer needs by adapting autonomy solutions to evolving mission sets, compliance requirements, and operational feedback.

Travel Requirement

Members of this team typically travel around 10-15% 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
• Proficiency in programming languages such as C++ and Python, and familiarity with real-time operating systems (RTOS)
• Significant background in robotics technologies related to motion planning, behavior modeling, decision-making, or autonomous system design
• Significant experience with unmanned system technologies and accompanying algorithms (specifically air domain)
• Familiarity with simulation tools and environments (e.g., AFSIM, NGTS) for testing and validation
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and optimize system performance
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience applying ML/RL techniques in autonomy pipelines
• Background in collaborative behaviors, swarm robotics, or distributed decision-making
• Familiarity with tactical behaviors for unmanned systems in DoD or government programs
• Hands-on experience supporting flight demos or live exercises
• Experience with UCI and OMS Standards