# Principal Engineer, State Estimation

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Dallas, TX
**Role:** ML Engineering
**Salary:** $275k – $412k/yr
**Experience:** 12+ years
**Skills:** State Estimation, Sensor Fusion, Inertial Navigation, Kalman Filters, C++, Linux, Imu, Gnss, Gps, Visual Odometry, CUDA, Computer Vision
**Posted:** 2026-07-09

> Principal State Estimation Engineer developing advanced sensor fusion, inertial navigation, and real-time state estimation algorithms for autonomous UAVs in GPS-denied environments. Requires 12+ years experience with Kalman filters, C++, and shipping navigation products.

## Job Description

## What you'll do
- Develop and implement advanced state estimation algorithms, including inertial navigation, sensor fusion, and alternative navigation techniques for denied environments.
- Design and optimize state estimation frameworks to integrate data from IMUs, GNSS receivers, visual odometry, magnetometers, barometers, and radar systems.
- Build real-time sensor processing pipelines for UAV platforms, focusing on robustness, accuracy, and failover performance.
- Collaborate with autonomy, software, and hardware teams to ensure seamless integration of state estimation components within larger autonomous systems.
- Lead simulation, lab testing, and field validation of state estimation algorithms to assess performance under varying operational conditions.
- Stay on the forefront of navigation and state estimation innovation—adapting emerging technologies and research into deployable, mission-ready solutions.

## Required qualifications
- Typically requires a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience with a bachelor’s degree; or 10 years with a master’s degree; or a PhD with 8 years of experience; or equivalent practical experience.
- Deep experience developing real-time navigation and/or sensor fusion algorithms with IMUs, GPS, and other sensors.
- Strong understanding of state estimation techniques (e.g., Kalman filters, extended and unscented variants, particle filters, etc.).
- Proficiency with C++11 or newer; experience with real-time operating environments.
- Comfort with Linux, scripting, and standard development tools.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills; ability to work across engineering disciplines and with external partners.
- Proven track record of successfully shipping products, showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions to meet project deadlines and exceed expectations in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.

## Preferred qualifications
- Experience developing and implementing inertial navigation solutions for GPS-denied or degraded environments.
- Knowledge of computer vision techniques.
- Proficiency in optimizing algorithms for compute-constrained systems.
- Experience with CUDA or other hardware acceleration technologies (e.g. FPGAs).
- Proven track record of transitioning from R&D to production.

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