Senior Perception Engineer Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

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 . The Autonomous Pilot Integration team for expeditionary platforms builds autonomy solutions for V-BAT - an unmanned aircraft operating in expeditionary environments for ISR, target acquisition, communications, and multi-agent missions. The team also builds autonomy for X-BAT, a new platform under development by the aircraft team; for X-BAT, the team builds on top of the existing mission autonomy solution from the Strategic Systems (ACP) portfolio and works closely with the aircraft team on the flight-autonomy interface. We combine capabilities from the Autonomy Capabilities team (motion planning, tactics), the Perception team (e.g., ViDAR, ATR), and the HivemindSDK to develop the autonomy software that runs on these platforms, then integrate, validate, and field it on the real hardware - for U.S. and international defense customers. In this role, you'll develop new autonomy capabilities - including mission behaviors, platform-specific control (including VTOL transitions), multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy - and own major features from software-in-the-loop, to hardware-in-the-loop, to vehicle-in-the-loop, to live flight test. You'll partner closely with the Aircraft team, Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, feature crews, and customer stakeholders to deliver mission-ready autonomy software and solve complex integration challenges. As a senior engineer, you'll provide technical leadership across major capabilities, mentor teammates, influence architecture and integration strategy, and help drive successful field deployments for both mature and emerging expeditionary platforms. This team has a strong fielded-operator culture - long-endurance ISR missions, customer-driven workflow iteration, and demanding live exercises across multiple U.S. and international services. It's a hands-on role for engineers who want to see their software operate on real aircraft and directly support operators in the field. What You'll Do: Develop & Field Autonomy - Develop and integrate autonomy software for V-BAT and X-BAT, including mission behaviors, platform-specific control, payload and sensor integration (e.g., ViDAR, EO/IR), multi-agent coordination, contingencies, and executive autonomy. Own major features from software-in-the-loop through live flight testing. Aircraft Team Partnership - Collaborate closely with the Aircraft team to integrate autonomy capabilities, validate platform interfaces, coordinate hardware/software compatibility, and support release readiness. Collaboration Across Teams & Partners - Partner with the Autonomy Capabilities, Perception, GCS, Strategic Systems (ACP), feature crews, and customer stakeholders to deliver integrated mission capabilities. Technical Leadership - Own significant features or subsystems, drive technical execution, mentor teammates, and contribute to design reviews and integration planning. Pre-deployment Preparation - Build, configure, validate, and prepare mission-ready systems while ensuring software, hardware, and operator workflows are ready for deployment. On-site Test & Mission Support - Support flight tests, customer demonstrations, operator training, and deployment events through system bring-up, troubleshooting, and mission execution. Hardware/Software Debugging - Diagnose integration issues across autonomy software, payload computers, embedded systems, and platform interfaces using simulation and operational testing. Mission Data & Continuous Improvement - Analyze mission data, drive root-cause analysis, and build tools and processes that improve integration efficiency and mission reliability. C2 Interoperability & Standards - Implement and validate interfaces with GCS and command-and-control systems while supporting compliance with STANAG 4586, UCI, and OMS. Travel Requirement - Members of this team typically travel around 10-20% of the year to different office locations, customer sites, operator training events, flight tests, and integration exercises. Required Qualifications: * BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience. * 5+ years of relevant experience (or equivalent advanced degree experience). * Strong C++ development experience in real-time or embedded systems. * Experience with Linux-based development and embedded systems. * Experience integrating complex software systems and troubleshooting across hardware/software boundaries. * Experience supporting system integration, testing, or field events. * Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance. Preferred Qualifications: * Experience with unmanned aircraft or autonomous systems. * Experience with autonomy software, robotics, or vehicle control. * Experience with payload or sensor integration. * Python, Docker, CMake/Conan, or CI/CD experience. * Experience with military test events or defense customers. #LI-ED1 #LC 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. ### 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.