# Senior Staff Engineer, Software Autonomy

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** New Delhi, India, Bengaluru, India
**Role:** AI Research
**Experience:** 12+ years
**Skills:** C++, Python, Robotics, Autonomy Algorithms, Reinforcement Learning, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, Hardware-Software Integration, Multi-Agent Systems, Simulation, Flight Testing
**Posted:** 2026-06-04

> Leads the design, development, integration, and field validation of tactical autonomy software for unmanned platforms across air, land, and sea domains. Requires 12+ years of industry experience, advanced engineering education, strong C++ and Python skills, and hands-on autonomy or robotics experience.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Serve as a hands-on technical lead and subject-matter expert for edge AI and autonomy software across sea, air, and space platforms.
- Collaborate with customers and cross-functional teams to understand requirements, write code, develop capabilities, and integrate software with hardware.
- Design tactical autonomy algorithms for unmanned aircraft operating across air, land, and sea domains with minimal human supervision.
- Develop high-performance software modules for planning, decision-making, and behavior execution in dynamic and adversarial environments.
- Implement and test behavior architectures supporting multi-agent coordination, target engagement, reconnaissance, and survivability.
- Integrate classical autonomy with machine-learning methods, including reinforcement learning.
- Collaborate with perception, planning, simulation, hardware, and flight-test teams.
- Deploy autonomy capabilities to real platforms and participate in field tests and flight demonstrations.
- Analyze mission logs and performance data to diagnose failures and optimize behavior models.
- Research and prototype algorithms, identify tactical capability gaps, and contribute to the autonomy roadmap.
- Adapt autonomy solutions to evolving mission sets, compliance requirements, and operational feedback.
- Provide software handover and training to customers.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation for customers and internal teams.
- Mentor teammates.
- Travel to office locations, customer sites, and flight-integration events; the role typically involves approximately 10–15% travel, with customer deployments, training, and flight testing potentially requiring approximately 30% travel.

## Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's and master's degrees in Aerospace, AI, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related engineering field.
- 12+ years of industry experience.
- 3+ years of hands-on software development for autonomy or robotics applications.
- 2+ years of experience working in a startup environment.
- Strong software-engineering background.
- Strong proficiency in modern C++.
- Intermediate proficiency in Python.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Fluency in Hindi and English.
- Ability to travel to and stay at customer sites across India and Asia.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in the defense aviation or robotics industry.
- Ability to travel to the USA for up to three months at a time for training.

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