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Autonomy Engineer- Behavior and Motion Planning (R6007)

Shield AISan Diego, CaliforniaPilot
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Salary
Not listed
Job type
Full Time Employee
Posted
16 Sept 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Shield AI is hiring an Autonomy Engineer for behavior and motion planning in San Diego, California, to develop path planning algorithms for autonomous systems. This full-time position is designed for engineers seeking to advance autonomous capabilities across multiple experience levels.

Role Overview

The Pilot team builds algorithms and software that allow intelligent systems to operate in dynamic environments. Professionals in this role develop, deploy, and optimize trajectory planning algorithms for single and multi-agent platforms. Responsibilities span mission planning, motion planning, and learned planning approaches, utilizing artificial intelligence and robotics principles.

Key Responsibilities

Research, design, and implement trajectory planning and control algorithms for single and multi-agent platforms.
Write software primarily in modern C++ and use Python for prototyping, analysis, automation, and testing.
Develop comprehensive tests to evaluate the planning stack in simulation and on real hardware.
Diagnose algorithmic and software issues including concurrency, performance bugs, and integration failures.
Collaborate across teams to define technical requirements and deliver features from ideation to flight testing.
Shape autonomy architecture and mentor junior engineers depending on candidate experience.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, operations research, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Professional work, internship, research, or project experience building and debugging nontrivial C++ software for robotics, optimization, or motion planning.
Experience writing and debugging modern C++, including concurrency patterns and handling data races, deadlocks, and lifetime errors.
Practical background using Python for automation, testing, prototyping, or analysis.
Software engineering fundamentals covering algorithms, data structures, debugging, CI/CD, and version control.
Practical development and debugging experience on Linux.
Communication skills to explain technical decisions and collaborate across disciplines.

Nice to Have

Experience with behavior or motion planning for aerial, maritime, space, or ground platforms.
Background in decentralized or distributed planning, trajectory optimization, or multi-objective optimization.
Familiarity with solvers like Gurobi, OR-Tools, or CPLEX.
Experience applying vision-language models or vision-language-action models to motion planning and decision-making.
Background delivering software for fielded, safety-critical, or resource-constrained systems.
Experience with software-in-the-loop or hardware-in-the-loop simulation and distributed systems.

Skills and Tools

C++
Python
Linux
Gurobi
OR-Tools
CPLEX
Vision-Language Models (VLMs)
Vision-Language-Action Models (VLAs)

Salary and Benefits

Full-time regular employee offer package includes pay within the listed range, bonus, benefits, and equity.
Compensation varies based on skill set, experience level, licenses, certifications, and work location.
Offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.

About the Company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company focused on protecting service members and civilians through intelligent systems. Its product portfolio includes Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technology. The organization maintains offices and facilities across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply on the official company careers page.

Skills and tech stack

C++PythonLinuxGurobiOR-ToolsCPLEXDistributed Systems

Questions candidates ask

What programming languages are used in this role?

Software is built primarily in modern C++, while Python is used for prototyping, analysis, automation, and testing.

Where is the position located?

The role is located in San Diego, California.

What educational background is required?

A Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, operations research, or a related field is required, or equivalent practical experience.

What operating system is used for development?

Practical experience developing and debugging software on Linux is required.

Are there opportunities for engineers at different experience levels?

Yes, the company hires software engineers across multiple experience levels, ranging from implementing components to shaping architecture and mentoring junior engineers.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Shield AI careers page.

Apply on company site