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Forward Deployed Engineer, Autonomy (open level)

Shield AI · United States · San Diego, California · Dallas, Texas · Washington, D.C.

Spotted 84d agoFull-time

Job details

Employment
Full-time
Posted
Jul 30, 2026
Last confirmed open
Oct 23, 2026

What you'll need to apply

Fields this application requires

ResumeNameEmailWork authorization answerVisa sponsorship answerHow you heard about themRelocation answer

Company-specific questions

  • This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to export controls, such as EAR. Are you any of the following?
  • Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces?
  • Please state your full legal name:
  • Are you a transitioning service member?
  • What full time job(s) are you applying for?essay
  • Did you see a LinkedIn post that encouraged or inspired you to apply for this role?
Job description

About this role

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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

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. This role is travel-intensive, with frequent trips, often international, and sometimes lasting multiple weeks, to work directly alongside customers on-site.

This is primarily a Senior-level role, and we’re typically looking for candidates with several years of relevant industry experience.

That said, we will consider exceptional mid-level engineers who demonstrate strong technical fundamentals, a hands-on mindset, and a track record of taking initiative in dynamic, customer-driven environments In this role, you will work closely with customers to understand their requirements, provide technical expertise during deployment, and ensure successful integration of our AI and autonomy products.

You’ll also collaborate internally with engineering teams, with opportunities to grow into technical leadership over time.

You Should Apply If

You’re excited about a travel-heavy role and enjoy being on-site with customers, including international and multi-week engagements You’re a strong technical contributor (or early in your career and eager to grow) who takes initiative and figures things out You enjoy problem solving, building relationships, and working at the intersection of engineering and real-world deployment You’re passionate about autonomy, robotics, or aerospace You Should Not Apply If: You prefer minimal travel or want to work primarily from a single location You want to do 100% R&D and don’t enjoy customer interactions You’ve never programmed in C, C++, or Rust

Interested in this role?Continue on Shield AI's careers page.
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