Ground System Software Engineer (R4787)

We are seeking a highly motivated Ground System Software Engineer to design, develop, and maintain software systems for the X-BAT Platform. This role focuses on building robust ground control stations, mission planning tools, communication interfaces, and infrastructure that enable the X-BAT mission, and supports operational requirements safe and efficient drone operations.

You’ll work at the intersection of all major components of the X-BAT Platform and its systems, providing user-facing applications to operate X-BAT and supporting equipment or vehicles, and will be collaborating closely with our Aircraft Software, Hivemind, and Flight Test teams to design this state-of-the-art ground system.

What you’ll do

• Design, develop, and optimize next-gen ground control software that enables low-latency communication with UAVs and other autonomous platforms.
• Build high-performance full-stack applications that support telemetry processing and fusion, mission planning, and real-time situational awareness.
• Implement responsive user interfaces with React and TypeScript for telemetry readout and sensor feeds, operator workflows, and mission/vehicle state.
• Collaborate closely with teams across autonomy, embedded systems, human factors, and UX to deliver integrated, field-ready solutions.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and system designs that ensure responsiveness, scalability, and fault-tolerance.
• Lead and/or participate in development efforts on key features or subsystems, from early design through deployment and iteration.
• Write high-quality, well-tested code and participate in peer design/code reviews.

• Senior: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Robotics, or a related field with 5+ years of professional software development experience, or Masters with 4+ years, or PhD with 2+ years.
• Staff: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Robotics, or a related field with 7+ years of professional software development experience, or Masters with 6+ years, or PhD with 4+ years.
• Proficiency in a strongly typed programming language (e.g. C#, TypeScript, Java, C++) with exposure to lower-level systems or protocol integration.
• Experience with web technologies, especially React, TypeScript/JavaScript, and Node.js.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals including version control, testing, debugging, and performance profiling.
• Proven ability to deliver high-quality software as part of a collaborative engineering team.
• Experience building distributed systems or networked applications
• Experience developing user interfaces (e.g., React, Vue, QT, or similar frameworks)
• Strong debugging, problem solving, and system integration skills
• Speed and proficiency without the use of Generative AI tools (due to the nature of our work, these are prohibited)
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional engineering environment
• Ability to obtain security clearance, * Experience with GCS software, mission planning tools, or real-time visualization platforms.
• Familiarity with API-driven systems using REST or gRPC, and communication protocols like WebSocket or custom telemetry formats.
• Knowledge of standards such as STANAG 4586, Cursor on Target (CoT), or MAVLink.
• Experience with UAS platforms and AI/ML systems.
• Familiarity with containerized environments (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD practices.
• Exposure to distributed systems and cloud integration for telemetry data pipelines and sensor fusion.
• Understanding of security best practices in control systems and networked applications.
• Exposure to cybersecurity best practices for embedded or distributed systems, preferably within Gov and/or Defense environments

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary 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. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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 .