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, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. 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 . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
Shield AI’s mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. We are seeking an Autonomy Software Integration & Test Engineer to support development, integration, testing, and deployment of autonomous systems in Ukraine.
This role is ideal for a hands-on engineer who enjoys working across software, hardware, aircraft systems, and flight operations in fast-paced field environments. The position combines autonomy software development, system integration, and real-world flight testing across unmanned and autonomous platforms.
The ideal candidate is comfortable writing and debugging software, integrating autonomy systems onto fixed-wing, multirotor, and other unmanned or autonomous systems, troubleshooting issues in both lab and field environments, and supporting live flight operations under evolving operational conditions. This role requires an engineer who can move fluidly between software development, aircraft integration, flight testing, demonstrations, and operational troubleshooting in a rapidly growing startup environment.
The ideal candidate demonstrates strong ownership, a bias toward action, and the ability to solve complex problems across software, hardware, and flight operations in rapidly evolving environments.
This role will primarily support operations in the Lviv region, with occasional travel to other locations within Ukraine for demonstrations, testing, and operational support activities.
What you'll do:
Develop and contribute production-quality software features and capabilities for autonomous systems
Design, implement, debug, and maintain software components supporting autonomy, mission execution, system integration, and flight operations
Integrate autonomy software onto fixed-wing, multirotor, and other unmanned or autonomous systems
Develop internal tools, automation, telemetry analysis pipelines, and test infrastructure in C++ and Python
Support software bring-up, system configuration, and mission readiness for flight operations
Debug and troubleshoot issues across autonomy software, onboard compute, radios, networking, sensors, flight controllers, and mission systems
Support simulation, SIL, HIL, VIL, ground testing, and live flight test activities
Support field demonstrations and operational test events, including pre-flight setup, system validation, troubleshooting, and post-flight analysis
Operate and troubleshoot Ground Control Stations (GCS) and mission support systems
Capture, analyze, and review flight and system data to support root cause analysis and system improvements
Work closely with autonomy, systems, hardware, and flight test teams to rapidly integrate and validate new capabilities
Support rapid software iteration and operational testing in dynamic startup and field environments
Contribute to operational documentation, test procedures, integration workflows, and deployment readiness activities
Travel to test sites and support field operations as required
Required qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
3+ years of experience developing and integrating software for robotics, autonomy, aerospace, embedded systems, or related technical fields
Strong software engineering experience in C++ and Python, including development, debugging, and system integration
Experience contributing to complex software systems in robotics, autonomy, aerospace, embedded systems, or related domains
Experience working with Linux-based systems and development environments
Hands-on experience integrating and troubleshooting hardware and software systems
Experience supporting field testing, flight testing, demonstrations, or operational exercises
Familiarity with MAVLink, PX4, ArduPilot, QGroundControl, or related unmanned systems technologies
Experience debugging distributed or cross-disciplinary systems involving software, networking, sensors, radios, onboard compute, and mission systems
Strong sense of ownership and ability to operate independently in fast-paced environments
Strong problem-solving mindset and willingness to work across disciplines
Ability to travel within Ukraine as required
Preferred qualifications:
Experience supporting autonomous aircraft or unmanned systems
Experience with SIL, HIL, VIL, simulation, or flight test environments
Familiarity with ROS, DDS, embedded systems, or real-time systems
Experience with RF communications, datalinks, and networking systems
Experience supporting live flight demonstrations or operational deployments
Familiarity with flight controllers, avionics systems, and aircraft integration
Experience building internal tools for testing, automation, telemetry analysis, or operational support
Background in defense, robotics, aerospace, or autonomous systems
Ukrainian and English language proficiency
Experience operating in fast-paced and dynamic field environments
#LI-LD2
#LC
Our international teammates receive a comprehensive total rewards package aligned to your country office location. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.
a16z