a16z Staff Engineer, Autonomy Factory Pipeline (R5276)
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:
As a Software Engineer on the HMS Factory Team, you will develop, implement, and maintain the automated testing frameworks, log analysis tools, and scenario-generation scripts built on top of the Hivemind Platform (HMP) SDK. Your work is highly technical and hands-on, directly enabling hundreds of autonomy and systems developers to rapidly verify AI Pilot behaviors across our expansive portfolio set. In this role, you will navigate complex environment boundaries between secure GovCloud and commercial ecosystems, tackling deep build-system challenges such as dependency migrations and establishing reliable artifact and source-mirroring pipelines across isolated networks.
You will write python-based analytics libraries, build custom wrappers around the HMP Forge test orchestrator, and programmatically generate complex testing environments using domain randomization. You will also participate in the hands-on prototyping and deployment of new distributed testing technologies like on top of the Forge Server to support massive batch-testing runs. Additionally, you will serve as a critical technical bridge, translating raw simulation telemetry into structured, high-fidelity insights while keeping mainline branches unified and stable in the face of varying program upgrade cadences.
What you'll do:
- Write, optimize, and maintain advanced Python-based data analysis pipelines and custom analyzers (such as the Shared Analysis Tool) to parse simulation runs, extract log data, and calculate mission performance metrics.
- Develop, debug, and maintain custom C++ or Python adapters and automated test orchestration wrappers around core HM Forge to satisfy program-specific validation requirements.
- Implement programmatic scenario-generation pipelines and write domain-randomization scripts to systematically test autonomy behaviors under highly varied environmental conditions.
- Analyze simulation log files, rosbags, and network captures to isolate, reproduce, and debug autonomy software defects or simulator failures.
- Leverage generative AI and agentic AI tooling to dramatically accelerate the development, refinement, and maintenance of analysis suites used to characterize performance and validate HMS solutions.
- Build reusable agentic workflows that automate the generation and evolution of analysis suites, including automated discovery and interpretation of available test data and system outputs, intelligent identification of analysis needs, and development of new analyzers for HMS performance characterization and validation.
- Build, test, and write Terraform or Kubernetes configuration files to prototype and deploy distributed orchestration templates on top of the Forge Server.
- Write reusable, clear step-by-step developer guides, API documentation, and workspace templates to help program engineers implement automated simulation tests.
- Design and evolve common telemetry ingestion, analysis, and reporting frameworks that enable consistent performance evaluation across HMS programs.
Required qualifications:
- Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- Strong software development background in Python, particularly for data analysis, scripting, and automation tooling (utilizing libraries like NumPy, Pandas, or similar).
- Hands-on experience with automated test orchestration, CI/CD, simulation environments, and container-based architectures (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Solid software engineering fundamentals, including version control (Git), automated testing, and disciplined debugging practices in a Linux environment.
- Familiarity with distributed compute frameworks or container orchestration tools is highly preferred.
- Strong technical problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex, asynchronous software systems.
- Ability to obtain and maintain an active U.S. SECRET security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).
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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.
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