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Shield AI

a16z portfolio company

Software Development Engineer - New Graduate

Location
San Diego, California, Washington, D.C., Boston, Massachusetts
Work arrangement
On-site
Job type
Full-time
Compensation
USD 77,200–211,200

About the role

Posted Oct 6, 2026

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. 

We are seeking Autonomous Software Engineers for full-time roles starting in 2027! This is a paid, in-person, full-time position for students graduating during the 2026-2027 academic year. We are now reviewing applications for positions starting after graduation in 2027. 

What you'll do

  • Design, implement, test, and ship C++ and/or Python features, tools, and tests alongside experienced engineers.

  • Write embedded firmware in C/C++ for real-time software that controls our advanced UAV while in flight.

  • Develop tests, reporters, and tooling in Python to validate software behavior and performance.

  • Develop and evaluate autonomy software across areas such as mission behavior, planning, multi-agent coordination, decision-making, platform integration, or perception (object detection, tracking, sensor fusion, localization, situational awareness, or AI/ML-enabled workflows).

  • Build unit and integration tests, run and analyze simulation or bench results, and investigate failures using logs, telemetry, traces, and debugging tools.

  • Support software integration across autonomy capabilities, platform/vehicle interfaces, sensors, perception products, mission compute, and operator or command-and-control (C2) systems, including simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and bench testing.

  • Work with real and simulated data from cameras, EO/IR sensors, IMUs, GPS, radars, or other mission payloads.

  • Work cross-functionally with electrical and mechanical engineers to help determine and validate software requirements.

  • Write documentation for setup steps, interface assumptions, configuration, test procedures, and findings to make workflows repeatable.

  • Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and test debriefs, and take on more ownership of features and fixes over time.

Required Qualifications

  • Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field, graduating between December 2026 and August 2027.

  • Proficiency in C++ and/or Python.

  • Solid foundation in data structures, algorithms, and software fundamentals.

  • Ability to own well-scoped tasks with limited guidance and communicate progress clearly.

  • Must be able to work in-person full-time.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Hands-on project experience (competition team, research lab, capstone, or personal projects) involving robotics, controls, planning, computer vision, or machine learning.

  • Prior internship or co-op experience writing software.

  • Familiarity with simulation tools, ROS/ROS2, or hardware-in-the-loop/software-in-the-loop testing.

  • Experience with sensor data (cameras, EO/IR, IMU, GPS, radar) or multimodal AI/ML data (vision-language or vision-language-action models).

  • Experience writing unit/integration tests and debugging using logs or telemetry.

  • Comfortable working in a Linux environment and using version control (e.g., Git).

  • Exposure to embedded systems, real-time software, or safety-critical software practices.

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
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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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. 

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At a glance

Location
San Diego, California · Washington, D.C. · Boston, Massachusetts
Workplace
On-site
Employment
Full-time
Team
Campus Recruiting
Compensation
USD 77,200–211,200
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You’ll be taken to Shield AI to apply.

The company

Shield AI

Shield AI

Shield AI's mission is to protect service members and innocent civilians with artificially intelligent systems. Our initial focus is on the last several miles of the battlefield where we lack capability to collect intelligence. This area is beyond the view of high altitude sensors, too dangerous for people, and too complex for robots to navigate. Consequently, service members are asked to make life altering decisions with limited information. Mistakes are made that cost lives and incur massive collateral damage. Such mistakes cause the United States to lose support of local populations and make conflict unwinnable. This problem is widely recognized throughout the DoD, including the most senior leadership. To address this problem, we are building swarms of small intelligent robots to collect the critical missing information. The systems will scour indoor and outdoor spaces in search of threats and innocent people. They will be deployed by people, trucks, ships, aircraft, and other robots. These robots will become more numerous in combat areas than soldiers. Synthesized information will be presented to service members who will be empowered to make decisions leading to intended outcomes without collateral damage. Conflict becomes less brutal.

Series G

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1,000–5,000 employees
AI
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