C++ Software Engineer, Perception (R2301)

Introduction to Shield AI

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown a fighter jet (F-16), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (V-BAT), and a quadcopter (Nova). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington DC and abroad. Shield AI’s products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies. 

We are seeking a STRONG C++ Software Engineer who is eager to learn and grow within the autonomy space. Some previous autonomy experience will be needed however we're looking for someone who is 90% C++ and 10% autonomy.

Our Perception team at Shield AI focuses on research and development of state-of-the-art algorithms that leverage cutting edge sensors to enable estimation of the state of robots, and observation, understanding and representation of their operating environment for robust autonomous operation in dynamic, uncertain and diverse environments.

As a Senior Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring harmonious integration of perception components and workflows across simulation, hardware emulators and our autonomous platforms. You will also be responsible for design and development of analysis and test pipelines for rapid verification of perception capabilities.

As an onsite team-member in Dallas, you will be working closely with Shield AI’s VBAT platform and the platform team to develop, integrate and test Perception algorithms. You will work closely with the rest of the Perception group in design and development of capabilities for VBAT and enable rapid integration and testing.

What you'll do:

• Contribute to research, design, and implementation of state-of-the-art perception algorithms, taking ideas from conception to field deployment 
• Work with and deploy our stack to edge devices
• Work with Platform team to understand pain points and constraints to enable principled design of capabilities 
• Work with our Hivemind Design team to design and build test and analysis infrastructure that supports local development and scales into the cloud 
• Work with various embedded compute units and soft and hard real-time operating systems 
• Ensure that all perception components and workflows across simulation, test-rigs and platforms work smoothly with each other. 
• Work with robotics middleware such as ROS and PX4 
• Work on algorithms, including factor graph optimizations, sparse and dense tracking and 3D reconstruction 
• Work in collaboration with our DevOps teams to architect and maintain our cloud infrastructure, working with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes; assist with cross-platform builds and test orchestration, working with build tools (e.g. CMake, Bazel, etc.) and compiler tool chains (e.g. gcc, llvm, etc.) 

Required qualifications:

• BS in computer science or related engineering field
• 1+ years of professional experience
• Strong experience with C++11 in a production environment 
• Experience with python
• Experience with common debugging and profiling tools (e.g. gdb, valgrind, etc.)
• Experience in a collaborative development environment, focused on continuous integration/delivery & test-driven development
• Experience working with and writing software for edge compute systems (ex: NVidia, Xaviers, Raspberry Pi)
• Some experience with SLAM and semantic understanding algorithms
• Familiarity with git, bash
• Familiarity with cloud container orchestration systems (ex: Kubernetes)
• Demonstrated record of working hard, strong communication skills, being a trustworthy teammate, and being kind to others
• Strong desire to learn and grow on the job.
• Eligibility to obtain a clearance

#LC

#LI-OE1 

Total package details:

Regular employee positions: Salary within range listed above + Bonus + Benefits + Equity (if applicable)

Temporary employee positions: Hourly within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

*Interns/Military Fellows/Part-time not eligible for bonus, benefits or equity

Actual 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 check.

If you're interested in being part of our team, apply now! 

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.