a16z Senior Generative AI Application Engineer, Learning & Development (R5856)
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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:
The Senior AI Engineer, Hivemind Learning & Development is a hands-on individual contributor who will build the AI-powered products, content systems, and measurement capabilities that help engineers learn Hivemind faster and apply it successfully. Embedded within the Hivemind Learning & Development team, this role combines production AI engineering, developer experience, and technical education.
You will own an AI training coach that provides grounded, context-aware guidance; create tooling that turns learning objectives and product changes into high-quality workshops; and partner with autonomy experts to produce deeply technical curricula, labs, and assessments. The role works closely with Applications Engineering, Hivemind engineering and Customer Success.
Success is defined by trusted learning products that ship, shorter time to technical proficiency, faster and more consistent workshop development, content that stays current with Hivemind releases, and clear evidence that training improves customer capability and product adoption.
What you'll do:
- Develop an AI-powered training coach that helps people learn Hivemind concepts, products, and development workflows.
- Create highly technical Hivemind training materials and hands-on workshops for engineers and other technical learners.
- Build prompt-based tooling that generates workshops and supporting learning content from defined objectives, audiences, and source materials.
- Create LLM-based tooling that automates the ongoing upgrade and improvement of Hivemind training and educational materials.
- Build AI tools and systems that enable, streamline, and automate Hivemind Learning & Development workflows.
Required qualifications:
- Progressive experience building production software, AI-enabled products, developer tools, technical learning platforms, or comparable systems.
- Hands-on experience integrating large language models, generative AI APIs, retrieval-augmented generation, agents, prompt workflows, or AI-assisted automation into production or enterprise environments.
- Strong software engineering fundamentals, including API design, testing, observability, documentation, secure coding, maintainable architecture, and operational ownership.
- Professional proficiency in Python and the ability to read, debug, and create credible examples in modern C++.
- Experience translating complex software or systems concepts into clear technical documentation, hands-on labs, workshops, developer education, or enablement material.
- Ability to learn a sophisticated technical product quickly, work directly with subject-matter experts, and convert ambiguous needs into practical, testable learning solutions.
- Experience evaluating AI system quality using automated tests, structured human review, telemetry, or task-based performance measures.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, sound technical judgment, and a collaborative style suited to engineers, instructors, customers, and cross-functional partners.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with autonomy, robotics, aerospace, defense, simulation, distributed systems, or safety-critical software.
- Experience with developer education, instructional design, learning science, intelligent tutoring systems, or assessment design for highly technical audiences.
- Familiarity with AI evaluation and observability, prompt and agent testing, vector databases, enterprise search, model gateways, and deployment in restricted or disconnected environments.
- Experience designing and facilitating hands-on technical workshops for customer engineers, including troubleshooting live technical environments.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Robotics, Data Science, Learning Technology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Why this role matters:
Hivemind gives engineers a comprehensive platform to develop, test, and deploy AI pilots. The value of that platform depends on how quickly technical teams can build sound mental models, complete real workflows, and apply the software with confidence. This engineer will create the learning systems that make expert knowledge available at the moment of need, reduce the delay between product change and customer readiness, and help the Learning & Development team scale quality without losing technical rigor.
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Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Skills
As published by lever · 17 questions · 8 written answers
Basics
Which location are you applying for?, Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website
Short answers (1)
- Please state your full legal name:
Pick from a list (8)
- Are you authorized to work in the United States?
- Will you require sponsorship for employment now or in the future?
- Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces?
- How did you hear about us?
- Are you a transitioning service member?
- If yes, what partnership program are you working with? optional
- Are you local to or willing to relocate? optional
- What office(s) would you be willing to relocate to? (Select all that apply) optional
Written answers (8)
- If yes, what type of sponsorship? optional
- (Optional) If you selected other or would like to expand on the above, feel free to do so below: optional
- If "Industry Conference" or "Other," please provide more details: optional
- If other, please provide further details optional
- When are you available to start your fellowship? optional
- When are you available for full time work? optional
- What full time job(s) are you applying for?
- If you selected international, what location(s)? optional
