Shield AISA

Platform Software Engineer- San Diego (R3137)

We're building the world's best AI pilot. Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

Shield AI

Employee count: 501-1000

Salary: 155k-312k USD

United States only
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn,X and Instagram.
As a Platform Software Engineer on the Hivemind Forge team, you will shape the infrastructure and tools enabling the development of advanced autonomy systems. You will contribute to the design of intuitive web applications, robust APIs, and developer-friendly SDKs that empower autonomy engineers to create, refine, and deploy Hivemind’s capabilities in both simulated and real-world environments. We seek engineers with a passion for building scalable, high-performance solutions and the technical expertise to deliver exceptional user experiences.

What You'll Do:

  • Design and implement robust data models and database architectures to support distributed systems.
  • Develop scalable backend services and APIs to power Forge’s infrastructure and tooling.
  • Build systems for virtualization, containerization, and orchestration, ensuring optimal performance across cloud, on-premises, and local environments.
  • Architect and deploy resilient infrastructure for managing high-throughput data pipelines and complex simulation workloads.
  • Design and implement networked systems, integrating advanced protocols and middleware to enable seamless communication across autonomous agents and backend systems.
  • Contribute to tools and infrastructure that support secure, efficient deployment of Forge on varied hardware platforms.
  • Create and maintain clear, detailed documentation for internal and external users of Forge’s platform capabilities.

Required Qualifications:

  • 8-15 + years of experience designing and delivering production-grade, scalable software systems.
  • Advanced proficiency with Golang and Python for systems programming and backend development.
  • 3+ years of experience with cloud computing platforms, container orchestration, and virtualization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, VMware).
  • Expertise in designing and optimizing relational databases, data models, and high-throughput pipelines.
  • Strong understanding of network protocols (e.g., UDP, TCP) and hands-on experience with building distributed networked applications.
  • Familiarity with systems programming concepts such as concurrency, performance optimization, and resource management.
  • Experience deploying secure, reliable infrastructure in hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
  • BS/MS in Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Proven ability to work collaboratively, mentor team members, and deliver results in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with Helm charts and automated infrastructure deployment tools.
  • Familiarity with tools for low-level network analysis and debugging, such as Wireshark or Serf.
  • Knowledge of CUE for configuration management and schema validation.
  • Experience with virtualization platforms and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environments.
  • Background in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated industry with a focus on secure and compliant software practices.
  • Proficiency in additional systems-level programming languages such as C++ or Rust.
  • Hands-on experience with distributed systems, event-driven architectures, and canary deployments.
#LE
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.

About the job

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Job type

Full Time

Experience level

Mid-level

Salary

Salary: 155k-312k USD

Location requirements

Hiring timezones

United States +/- 0 hours

About Shield AI

Learn more about Shield AI and their company culture.

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We're building the world's best AI pilot. Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

AI pilots will revolutionize battlefields and commercial aviation at a scale greater than the self-driving movement reshaping our highways.

We’re building Hivemind, our AI pilot, to enable swarms of drones and aircraft to operate autonomously without GPS, communications, or a pilot. Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

Our Story

As a Navy SEAL, Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng experienced firsthand problems where intelligent autonomy could have made life-saving differences. He asked himself what does the military of 2030 look like and what role does autonomy play. The answer – AI pilots powering every military asset: aircraft, drones, ships, satellites and submarines. ​

What does the military of 2030 look like and what role does autonomy play? The answer – AI pilots powering every military asset: aircraft, drones, ships, satellites and submarines.

The lack of software and AI engineering talent from large defense primes presented an opportunity to start fresh and build the aerospace and defense technology company of the 21st century focused on AI pilots. And in 2015, alongside cofounders Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter – Shield AI was founded to bring the best of AI and autonomy technology to the DoD and our allies to protect service members and civilians.

Our Values

Changing the world for the better is hard. The difficulty of operationalizing AI pilots is akin to landing an orbital rocket. When things are hard and you’re pushed to your limits, you fall back on your mission and values. Few things are more important, which is why they are at the heart of everything we do.

  1. Do what honor dictates.

  2. Live as a servant leader.

  3. Pursue excellence.

Employee benefits

Learn about the employee benefits and perks provided at Shield AI.

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Pet insurance

For your best friend!

Healthcare benefits

Excellent medical coverage for employees.

Equity benefits

Stock benefits, so you are rewarded for your best work.

Retirement benefits

401(k) services and match to help you invest in your future.

View Shield AI's employee benefits
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Shield AI

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Shield AI hiring Platform Software Engineer- San Diego (R3137) • Remote (Work from Home) | Himalayas