Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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
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Job Description:
Shield AI is seeking a Staff Engineer to help lead the design and development of advanced networking capabilities that support our autonomous systems. As part of the Hivemind Foundations team, you’ll focus on building high-performance, reliable networking software spanning transport through application layers. Your work will enable resilient communications for autonomous aircraft and ground systems operating in dynamic and contested environments. This role sits at the intersection of networking, distributed systems, and autonomy infrastructure, and is critical to our ability to deploy robust autonomous systems in real-world operations.
What you'll do:
Lead the development of the EdgeOS Communication stack used in deployed systems.
Own the architecture, implementation, and integration of high-performance C++ networking components.
Develop and optimize transport- and application-layer networking features for reliable, low-latency communication.
Collaborate closely with autonomy, systems, and simulation teams
Support development of network simulation capabilities used for testing and validation in simulated environments.
Required qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
Typically requires a minimum of 7 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 5 years and a Master’s degree; or 3 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
Proficient with C++ 11 or newer in a production environment.
Understanding of networking fundamentals across IP, TCP/UDP, routing, QoS, and hands-on experience with network debugging and analysis tools (e.g., netem, ifconfig, Wireshark, etc).
Experience developing and debugging distributed or networked systems.
Proven track record of leading and delivering complex technical projects with minimal oversight.
Preferred qualifications:
Experience with C++17 or newer standards.
Knowledge of CMake and Conan build systems.
Background in distributed systems, simulation, or autonomous robotics environments.
Experience with network emulation or simulation tools (e.g., ns-3, EMANE, CORE, Mininet).
Familiarity with RF communication systems or wireless networking concepts.
Staff: $150,000- $225,000
Senior Staff: $180,000- $270,000
