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 https://shield.ai/. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai, X https://x.com/shieldaitech, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shield_ai, and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Shield_AI.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Help build the intelligence that enables autonomous systems to navigate the world with confidence. In this role, you’ll develop cutting-edge estimation and navigation technology, transforming advanced algorithms into high-performance software that powers resilient autonomy in complex, real-world environments.
What you'll do:
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- Research and develop state-of-the-art state estimation and navigation algorithms to enable resilient autonomy in challenging GPS-denied environments.
- Design and deploy production-grade C++ software for embedded robotic systems operating in dynamic, real-world environments.
- Build and maintain rigorous unit, integration, and system-level tests to ensure system robustness and safety.
- Develop and enhance modeling, calibration, and simulation tools for inertial and vision-based navigation systems.
- Contribute to roadmap planning, feature decomposition, and agile execution alongside a multidisciplinary team of autonomy engineers.
- Continuously enhance performance analysis, benchmarking, and validation pipelines to drive rapid innovation and improvement.
Required qualifications:
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- M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related field; minimum 2+ years of related professional work experience if you have an M.S. degree, or 0 years if you are a new Ph.D. graduate.
- Professional proficiency in modern C++ (C++11 or newer) and strong object-oriented design skills.
- Hands-on experience deploying low-latency C++ applications to embedded Linux platforms.
- Professional experience designing and implementing state estimation algorithms (e.g., EKF, UKF, Particle Filters, graph-based optimization).
- Familiarity with VIO, SLAM, or multi-sensor fusion frameworks (e.g., GTSAM, Ceres, OpenVINS).
- Strong working knowledge of CI pipelines and automated testing frameworks for C++.
- Ability to independently deploy high-reliability code suitable for real-world autonomous systems.
- Familiarity with prototyping in Python or MATLAB is welcome, but this role demands professional C++ production deployment skills. Candidates whose primary experience is in MATLAB or Python are unlikely to find this position a good fit.
Preferred qualifications:
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- Deep understanding of graph-based optimization for state estimation.
- Experience developing vision-aided inertial navigation systems (VINS, VIO, Terrain Relative Navigation).
- Experience with navigation sensor calibration (IMU, GPS, barometers, magnetometers, laser altimeters, cameras).
- Experience in benchmarking and system validation for real-world navigation performance.
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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.
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