Principal Engineer, Shield AI

• 15+ years experience developing large, production quality software systems
• Excellent grasp of software development and coding principles with high productivity in a mainstream language (e.g. Typescript, C++, Go, Python, Rust, etc.)
• Strong knowledge of modern software engineering best practices; Experience with Git and code management tools; Good software hygiene regarding code documentation, unit testing, bug tracking
• 5+ years of experience with React/Node/Typescript/Javascript development
• 5+ years of experience with Web applications development ("Front-End" or "Full-stack")
• Deep understanding full-stack web development (Document-Object Model (DOM), browser APIs, standards, semantics, Websockets, HTTP Streaming and Server-Sent Events (SSE), Client and UI state management; best practises and strategies, as they apply to React-based rendering, Advanced SPA routing, URL-based state persistence,sharing mechanisms, Seamless content loading states and progressive rendering techniques.)
• Multi-modal input handling (text, files, images, audio). Experience with client-side LLM Context Management
• Fluid intelligence that allows one to operate effectively in sometimes ambiguous conditions, while finding opportunities to drive technical efforts and force multiply
• Experience with Linux, Docker, and CI/CD environments
• Hands-on experience with a major cloud platform (Azure, GCP, AWS)
• This role requires travel to a Shield AI location 1-3 times per quarter

Desirable

• The Special Projects team at Shield AI is an elite force within the office of the CTO
• It consists of a group of very senior (L5-L8) and highly experienced software engineering experts from diverse fields (aerospace, robotics, cloud infrastructure, game development, interactive media design, ...)
• The charter of this group is to steer technology development towards strategic alignment with the CTO’s vision, through tactical insertion into teams and technologies across the organization
• Individuals within this team make direct and at times forward-sprinting contributions to all three pillars of Hivemind, Shield AI’s software ecosystem for developing and deploying resilient intelligent teaming for aircrafts
• Hivemind consists of four products: EdgeOS (C++ based high-performance middleware for autonomy development), Pilot (autonomy for the edge built atop EdgeOS; a models-based, modular and open architecture C++ codebase), Forge (Shield AI's AI Factory for the design, development, and testing of Hivemind Edge systems; a service-oriented architecture leveraged through an SDK, CLI, and web portal; a Go, Python, Typescript codebase), Commander (Software and hardware to support rich human-in-the-loop and human-on-the-loop interactions with the Hivemind; a C++-based back-end for interaction with Pilot; and a web-application UI for mission planning, command and control by operators implemented in a Typescript/React codebase)
• The Special Projects team is chartered to operate effectively within ambiguity
• While this team does not own any software products, it tactically and strategically impacts the development of all foundational Hivemind products and leverages those technologies to rapidly deliver low-TRL solutions
• This work happens should-to-shoulder with the product teams in some cases, and in a forward-sprinting manner within the Special Projects team in other cases
• The result is direct contribution to products in the formercase, and development of reference implementations in the latter
• The Special Projects team also functions as a pipeline for product and solution engineering teams across the organization
• Individuals who enter the Special Projects team rapidly gain depth and breadth in their understanding of the Hivemind software ecosystem
• This positions them well for leading technology development effort across the product and solution organization
• Design and prototype generative AI experience focused on accelerating autonomy development
• Work closely with members of the Office of the CTO to crystallize the vision of the Hivemind product and its documentation
• Lead the user experience design of Hivemind Generative AI
• Work closely with the technical leads of Hivemind Commander (mission planning, command and control, air-ground communications) and Hivemind Design (configurations, test and evaluation, rehearsal, analysis) to enhance the user experience of their products
• Conduct user research to understand user personae and their needs
• Investigate competing products and their user experiences, synthesize findings to present to engineering and product leadership