Staff Engineer, Autonomy (R5682)

Shield AI
Melbourne, Australia
Hybrid

Who this role is best for

Experienced C++ developers with robotics and autonomy expertise will find this technical and mission-critical role in the defence industry.

Best fit for

  • Experienced C++ developers with robotics and autonomy expertise will find this technical and mission-critical role in the defence industry.
    — “If you’re a capable C++ developer with a passion for robotics and autonomy, this is your chance to make a real impact.”
  • Candidates with a background in aerospace, perception, or path planning will align with the team's focus on integrated solutions.
    — “As a Staff Engineer, Autonomy, you’ll work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, task & motion planning and controls.”

Things to consider

  • Australian citizenship is mandatory due to the requirement to handle classified government material.
    — “Australian citizenship is a mandatory requirement for this role.”
  • The role involves working with classified material, which may require additional security clearance procedures.
    — “this role supports that mission directly by working with Australian Government classified material.”

How to stand out

  • Demonstrate experience with sensor fusion and real-world autonomous systems in your resume and interview examples.
    — “Work with real sensor data and build robust sensor fusion solutions.”
  • Showcase your ability to integrate autonomy systems with third-party hardware and software.
    — “Integrate Shield AI autonomy products together with third-party aircraft and systems.”
  • Highlight your contributions to architecture and code quality in prior roles.
    — “Contribute to architecture, code quality, design reviews and best practices.”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • successful autonomous system deployment
  • robust sensor fusion solutions
Typical background
roboticsautonomysoftware engineering

Skills & requirements

Required

C++RoboticsAutonomyPath PlanningSensor FusionSoftware Development

Preferred

Uncrewed SystemsReal-time SystemsState EstimationGuidance, Navigation And Control

Stack & domain

C++RoboticsAutonomyPerceptionPath PlanningSensor FusionSoftware DevelopmentControlsState EstimationReal-time SystemsGuidanceNavigationDefense TechnologyLeadershipCollaborationCommunicationMentorshipAIAutonomous SystemsAircraftDefenseSoftware Engineering

About the role

Original posting from Shield AI via Lever

Job Description:

Shield AI is a venture-backed defence technology company building intelligent autonomous systems for aircraft. Our mission is to protect service members and civilians through AI and autonomy. 

We’re on the lookout for an experienced Staff Engineer, Autonomy to join our Hivemind Solutions team and help design, build, and deploy real-world autonomous capabilities for uncrewed systems. This is a hands-on engineering role, blending software development with robotics, perception, and path planning. You’ll be joining a high-performing team shaping the future of AI pilots for solving real-world problems. 

If you’re a capable C++ developer with a passion for robotics and autonomy, this is your chance to make a real impact. 

What you'll do::

As a Staff Engineer, Autonomy, you’ll work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, task & motion planning and controls. 

Design and implement autonomous behaviours for uncrewed aircraft. 

Work with real sensor data and build robust sensor fusion solutions. 

Develop and test autonomy systems in high-fidelity software and hardware in-the-loop simulations. 

Integrate Shield AI autonomy products together with third-party aircraft and systems. 

Collaborate across AI, robotics, and systems engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions. 

Contribute to architecture, code quality, design reviews and best practices. 

Lead and Mentor junior engineers

Required Qualifications::

A tertiary level qualification in Computer Science, Mechatronics, Software Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics or a related field

Significant professional experience in robotics, autonomy, perception or aerospace systems

Strong experience in modern C++

Significant experience in building and delivering reliable software systems, ideally in fast-paced environments

Preferred Qualifications::

Prior experience with uncrewed systems, especially in the air domain

Defence industry experience

Significant experience in one or more of the following domains:

State Estimation

Real-Time Systems

Guidance, Navigation and Control

Path Planning

Eligibility:

Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems, and this role supports that mission directly by working with Australian Government classified material. It requires an Australian Government security clearance at level. 

You don't need to hold a clearance already, we will sponsor your clearance and support you, because mission first, people always. Australian citizenship is a mandatory requirement for this role. It is a condition of clearance eligibility set by the Australian Government, eligibility details are here: https://www.agsva.gov.au/applicants/eligibility-suitability 

#LD

Source: Shield AI careers (Lever)

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