Senior State Estimation Engineer (Autonomous Aircraft, UAVs) - 3471472

Job Title:

Senior State Estimation Engineer (Autonomous Aircraft, UAVs)

Company:

Shield AI

Type of Position:

DIRECT HIRE

Candidate Requirements:

This role is open only to US Citizens and Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders); candidates requiring visa sponsorship (e.g., H1B, F1-OPT, F1-CPT, TN, etc.) are not eligible. While a security clearance is not required, candidates may be subject to a background check and a drug screening, which could include testing for cannabis. There would be no exceptions to the drug screening (eg: for individuals with a medical marijuana card). 

Job Location:

This will be an on-site role. We prefer candidates to work out of our Frisco, TX facility. Candidates may also work out of our other facilities: Boston, MA; San Diego, CA; Washington, DC.

Compensation:

Compensation is commensurate with experience, education, and skill level. We are generally targeting $185K/yr to $215K/yr, but there will be flexibility.

Benefits:

• Available and very competitive (health insurance, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, etc).
• This role includes a performance bonus and company equity, allowing you to share in Shield AI’s growth and success.

About 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 throughout the USA and across the world. 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. 

Role Summary:

As a Senior State Estimation Engineer at Shield AI, you’ll be part of the GNC team developing and optimizing algorithms that fuse data from IMUs, GPS, radar, cameras, and other sensors to deliver precise, reliable state estimates for autonomous flight. Your work will directly support our V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft’s ability to navigate, perceive, and make decisions in complex, GPS-denied, and contested environments. This role blends advanced algorithm development, real-time software implementation, and hands-on testing to push the limits of autonomous aircraft performance.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop and implement advanced sensor algorithms for processing data from IMUs, radar, cameras, GPS, and other sensors.  
• Enhance state estimation algorithms by integrating multi-sensor data for improved accuracy and robustness. 
• Design and implement real-time sensor data processing pipelines. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including software engineers, autonomy researchers, and hardware engineers, to ensure seamless integration of state estimation algorithms.  
• Conduct experiments and field tests to validate the performance of state estimation algorithms in real-world scenarios.  
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in sensor technologies and state estimation , applying them to our systems.

Required Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 4 years and a Master’s degree; or 2 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• Experience developing and deploying real-time sensor processing algorithms, e.g. with cameras, radar, IMUs, GPS, etc.  
• Solid understanding of state estimation techniques, such as Kalman filters, particle filters, etc.  
• Experience with C++ 11 or newer  
• Experience with Linux, command line tools, etc.  
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.  
• Proven track record of successfully shipping products, showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions to meet project deadlines and exceed expectations in a fast-paced environment.  
• You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in implementing inertial navigation algorithms on real-time processing systems  
• Knowledge of computer vision techniques  
• Proficiency in optimizing algorithms for compute-constrained systems  
• Experience with CUDA or other hardware acceleration technologies (e.g. FPGAs)  
• Proven track record of transitioning from R&D to production

Work Environment / Other Info:

• You’ll split your time between office-based engineering work and hands-on efforts with our aircraft. This means moving between an office environment to working directly with hardware on-site.
• Offer may be contingent upon a drug screen and background check (drug screen would include cannabis).
• 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.

How to Apply for This Job:

#HRUShield