Staff Engineer, Software Autonomy Applications (R4830) at Shield AI (Tokyo, Japan)

Shield AI· Tokyo, Japan·4d ago

Role details

Work type

Onsite

Employment

Internship

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description: Our Applications Engineers are highly technical, customer-facing problem solvers who play a critical role in deploying Shield AI’s Hivemind software in real-world environments. In this role, you will work closely with customers to understand their requirements, provide technical expertise and customer support during deployment, and ensure successful integration of Hivemind. You’ll also collaborate internally with engineering teams to develop and test new autonomy capabilities. This role is travel-intensive, with frequent trips, often international, and sometimes lasting multiple weeks, to work directly alongside customers on-site.

What you'll do:

Deploy with customers on site globally (~50% travel) to support software integration and development activities.
Become an expert user of the Hivemind enterprise software stack and its various autonomy modules.
Provide technical support and training to customers on use of Hivemind.
Develop AI & Autonomy applications using the Shield AI enterprise software development kit.
Assist the sales team in pre-sales activities, e.g., demos, conferences, immersions
Assist in post-sales deployment and integration of Shield AI enterprise software products.
Develop and maintain technical documentation and training materials.
Help customers debug software/API integration issues.
Collaborate with the product engineering team to address customer feedback and improve products.
Act as a technical leader across engagements by elevating team performance, driving execution across cross-functional teams, and ensuring successful delivery in complex environments.

Required qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, and 7+ years of industry experience, OR
Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, and 5+ years of industry experience.
Strong technical background in software engineering.
Strong proficiency in writing modern C++ code.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Preferred qualifications:

Experience in the defense, aviation, or robotics industry.
Prior experience as a customer-facing solutions engineer, application engineer, or sales engineer.
Experience operating in a fast-paced, startup-like, environment.
Advanced technical degree, especially in robotics or autonomy related fields

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Our international teammates receive a comprehensive total rewards package aligned to your country office location. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.

Why work at Shield AI

Mission‑driven work: Directly contribute to protecting service members and civilians with cutting‑edge AI and robotics.
Cross‑functional teams: Engineers collaborate across disciplines (AI, hardware, software, systems) on real‑world defense challenges.
Benefits: Excellent medical coverage, mental health EAP, paid parental leave, pet insurance, flexible work hours, gym discounts (SD) / on‑site gym (DC), free parking, competitive compensation, 401k with match, stock benefits.
Work policy: Flexible work hours; some offices (e.g., San Diego HQ, Arlington, DC) have on‑site facilities. Remote/hybrid options available depending on role.
Growth trajectory: Rapidly scaling (68% headcount growth) with hundreds of open roles across engineering, operations, and program management.

About Shield AI

Company Overview

One-liner: Shield AI builds AI pilots and autonomous systems for military aircraft to protect service members and civilians.
Entity Type: Private (Series G, venture-backed)
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Founded: 2015
Founders: Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, Andrew Reiter

Core Business

Primary industry/industries: Defense technology, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, aerospace
Target customers: U.S. Department of Defense, allied nations’ military forces (B2G / Government)
Mission or purpose statement: “Protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.”

Products & Services

Hivemind: A combat‑tested, modular autonomy stack for aircraft – self‑driving technology for drones, jets, and helicopters. Includes path‑planning, mapping, state‑estimation, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Type: Software (AI/autonomy).
V‑BAT: A vertical take‑off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for persistent ISR and strike missions. Type: Hardware (drone).
X‑BAT: An advanced unmanned aircraft system with extended endurance and payload capacity, built for multi‑domain operations. Type: Hardware (drone).
Hivemind Vision Systems: Computer‑vision and sensor‑fusion capabilities integrated into Hivemind for GPS‑denied environments. Type: Software + sensors.
Hivemind Enterprise: A deployable version of Hivemind for third‑party platforms and commercial applications. Type: Software.

Market Standing

Valuation/Market Cap: Not publicly disclosed (private company). Total funding raised: $3.6B (as of Series G in March 2026).
Key Metric: Annual Revenue ~$21.7M (estimated, private) | Total Funding $3.6B (including $2B Series G led by JP Morgan Chase and Advent International, March 2026).
Notable Investors/Partners: JP Morgan Chase, Advent International, Blackstone, Riot Ventures, SnowPoint Ventures, Disruptive (55+ investors total). Strategic partners include U.S. DoD and allied defense forces.
Growth Signals: Headcount grew 68.3% YoY to 1,283 employees; 338 active job postings (+57.2% YoY); operates in 5 countries (U.S., Australia, UAE, Norway, Ukraine); recent acquisitions of Sentient Vision Systems (2024), Heron Systems, MARTIN UAV.

Competitive Advantages

Combat‑proven autonomy: Hivemind has been tested in live military operations, providing a first‑mover advantage in contested, GPS‑denied environments.
Full‑stack integration: Combines software (AI pilot), hardware (V‑BAT, X‑BAT), and sensor systems, creating a tightly integrated product ecosystem.
Cross‑functional engineering culture: Engineers work across AI, robotics, aerospace, and defense – not siloed – enabling rapid iteration and field deployment.
Top talent pipeline: Employees drawn from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Amazon, Anduril, and other leading defense/tech firms.

Strategic Focus

Scale AI pilots across all domains: Extend Hivemind from aircraft to ships, satellites, and ground vehicles (“every military asset”).
International expansion: Growing presence in Australia, Europe, and Middle East via mission autonomy centers and partnerships.
Deepen autonomy stack: Continued investment in reinforcement learning, simulation, and computer vision to maintain leadership in contested‑environment autonomy.

Sources

Job description

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Why work at Shield AI

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