Software Development Engineer - New Graduate

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Shield AI

San Diego , California , United States
firmware embedded systems C/C++
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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.

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