Principal Software Engineer, Architecture and Integration - Shield AI

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown a fighter jet (F-16), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (V-BAT), and a quadcopter (Nova). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington DC and abroad. Shield AI’s products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies. 

Hivemind Design (HMD) is an innovative simulation, data science, and infrastructure team at Shield AI. We own the tools for designing, developing, testing, deploying, and evaluating instances of the Hivemind AI pilot and commander. Our software products enable companies to construct and control sophisticated autonomous systems, and therefore we are transforming the future of autonomy. We are committed to excellence, driving innovations that prepare autonomous agents for the most critical missions. 

The Hivemind Design product is Shield AIs AI Factory; a service-oriented architecture leveraged through an SDK, CLI, and web portal. Our focus is on leveraging both virtualized and bare-metal infrastructure to orchestrate autonomous agents in sophisticated simulations, dynamically configure test beds, and pioneer software configurations and deployments on robotic systems. The HMD team is not only solving problems; we are tasked with setting new benchmarks in technology and delivering unparalleled user experiences. 

We pride ourselves on a diverse team of experts from fields such as computer science, aerospace, game design, and distributed simulation systems. This diversity fuels our innovative spirit, in an environment that values creativity, teamwork, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.  

As a Principal Engineer on the Hivemind Design (HMD) team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the architecture and ensuring seamless integration among HMD’s simulation software, hybrid cloud infrastructure/APIs, and the core autonomous system development, which is predominantly implemented in C++ within the Hivemind product organization. This position provides a unique opportunity to significantly influence the development and commercialization of cutting-edge autonomous systems, leveraging your expertise to drive innovation and excellence within our dynamic ecosystem. 

What Youll Do:

• Serve as a key liaison between the Simulation, API, Infrastructure team and C++ development teams within the Hivemind organization, ensuring seamless integration and utilization of the hybrid cloud infrastructure for autonomous system development. 

• Lead architectural design and integration efforts, establishing best practices and guiding principles for the development, testing, documentation, and deployment of autonomous systems. 

• Develop cutting-edge tools for building and deploying the next generation of autonomous systems. 

• Drive the adoption of HMD tooling and best practices across teams, enhancing efficiency and reliability of software development and deployment processes. 

• Contribute to the strategic direction of software commercialization, ensuring our solutions meet market demands and comply with regulatory standards. 

Required Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 15 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 14 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 12 years experience; or equivalent experience.

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in designing and developing production quality software systems. 

• 5+ years of experience in C++11 or later, with the ability to understand and interface with complex C++ codebases. 

• Extensive experience with cloud technologies and architectures, preferably with a focus on hybrid cloud environments 

• Strong background in DevOps practices, including continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, automation tools, and infrastructure as code. Proficiency with CLI tools and software distribution methods, such as Debian packages. 

• Demonstrated ability in software architecture and modeling, with the capacity to design scalable, maintainable, and secure systems. 

• Experience in the commercialization of software, including understanding market needs, regulatory requirements, and the software development lifecycle. 

• Demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others  

• Experience with Go or Python

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with integrating diverse systems and technologies, particularly in environments where autonomous systems are developed, tested, analyzed, and commanded. 

• Ability to work effectively with teams across different disciplines, translating technical requirements and ensuring alignment between infrastructure capabilities and software development needs. 

• Excellent communication and documentation skills, capable of engaging with technical and non-technical stakeholders alike to ensure clear understanding and alignment on integration strategies. 

• Experience building CLIs or software installers 

• Experience with CUE 

• Experience with simulation software 

$210,119 - $315,179 a year