GNC Technical Manager (R2124)

Introduction to Shield AI
Shield AI’s mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Shield AI is a fast growing, venture-backed defense-technology company built around a team of proven executives, distinguished warfighters, and world-class AI engineers. Since 2018, Shield AI’s products and people have supported operations around the world with the US Department of Defense and our allies.


Are you a passionate and innovative autonomy engineer looking to help develop state of the art robots and AI products? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission-driven and values focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you! 

The Planning and Controls (PAC) team is an agile group of engineers focused on researching and developing state-of-the-art algorithms that drive intelligent and confidence-inspiring flight behaviors while accounting for an uncertain and dynamic world. 

As Motion Planning & Controls Group Manager, you will lead teams at the intersection of motion planning and controls. You will work closely with talented engineers to architect core systems, set standards for software engineering, drive strategic technical improvements, and mentor other engineers. You will drive continuous process improvement to improve reliability of autopilot software for Shield AI platforms and autopilot software interfaces for third party platforms.  
What you’ll do:
  • Manage the Action Group, which consists of the Motion team and the Controls team (e.g. career & technical mentorship, performance reviews, 1:1’s, etc.). 
  • Lead and mentor the team through technical execution of work, roadmapping, sprint/agile processes, software best practices, experimental analyses, removing blockers, etc. 
  • Grow the team by identifying skill and capacity shortages, then generating and executing to hiring plans 
  • Collaborate with our engineers, program, and product managers to define a technical roadmap for future autonomy solutions. 
  • Work on systems related to trajectory optimization, motion primitive libraries, robust & adaptive control, system identification, aerodynamics, rigid body dynamics, etc. 
  • Architect core systems that must be portable and scalable across different UAS platforms and compute architectures (including soft and hard real-time operating systems) 
  • Projects that you might work on:
  • Improving flight performance and reliability of the V-BAT 
  • Architecting and implementing motion planning algorithms for teams of V-BATs 
  • Develop core Action libraries for EdgeOS, a Shield AI Middleware framework, that enables portability of PAC libraries to multiple platforms and compute architectures 
  • Design and implement an analysis and simulation framework that: enables testing of various components in isolation or in a fully integrated manner; supports parameter sweeps; supports hardware-in-the-loop 
  • Required Qualifications:
  • 5+ years of experience in engineering autonomous systems or equivalent engineering roles 
  • 2+ years of people leadership experience 
  • BS in aerospace engineering, computer science, or related engineering field 
  • Experience with C++ 11 or newer in a production environment 
  • Experience in a collaborative development environment, focused on continuous integration/delivery & test-driven development 
  • Experience with flight testing, analysis methods, and data processing 
  • Strong knowledge of modern software engineering best practices 
  • Demonstrated record of working hard, strong communication skills, being a trustworthy teammate, and being kind to others 
  • Strong organizational skills 
  • Familiarity with Matlab, Simulink, Python, git 

  • #LI-OE1 

    Total compensation: Salary within range listed above + Bonus + Benefits + Equity (if applicable)
    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. Information on the benefits offered is here. All offers are contingent on a cleared background check.

    Location guidelines-
    Onsite = 5 days/week
    Remote = Remote but able to come to the office as requested for business needs

    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. 
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    logo Shield AI Engineering Full-time Onsite 📍 Dallas Metro Area Apply Now
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