Senior/Staff Engineer, C++ Software - Edge Systems (R5190)

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. Job Description: Shield AI is seeking a Senior / Staff C++ Software Engineer, Edge Systems to help define and build the software foundations that power autonomous systems operating in demanding real-world environments. This role sits within the Edge Systems team, where software meets hardware. You'll solve complex engineering problems spanning Linux edge computing, imaging, sensor integration, mission systems, and autonomy, building software that runs on real hardware in operational environments rather than laboratory prototypes. As one of our senior technical contributors, you'll combine hands-on software engineering with technical ownership. You'll influence architecture, mentor engineers, guide technical direction, and help shape the long-term evolution of our edge software platform while remaining close to implementation. You will develop modern C++ applications for Linux-based edge compute platforms, including NVIDIA Jetson-class systems, ARM64, and Windows systems. Your work will span sensor integration, imaging pipelines, calibration, diagnostics, deployment, developer tooling, and mission-critical applications that demand high performance, reliability, and maintainability. This is an application and systems software role, focused on Linux-based edge computing rather than bare-metal firmware or microcontroller development. No two weeks look the same. One day you might be optimising image-processing pipelines on embedded GPUs. The next you could

What you'll do:: Technical Leadership Lead the technical direction of significant edge software capabilities spanning edge compute, imaging, sensor integration, and mission systems. Influence software architecture across multiple projects and engineering teams. Drive engineering excellence through design reviews, technical standards, and pragmatic engineering practices. Mentor and coach engineers, helping raise the technical capability of the wider organisation. Partner with systems, autonomy, AI, and product teams to translate long-term capability into engineering roadmaps. Identify technical risks early and guide teams toward robust, maintainable solutions. Balance long-term architectural investment with practical product delivery. Software Engineering Design, develop, test, and maintain production C++ software for edge systems, imaging systems, mission applications, developer tooling, and automated test infrastructure. Build user-space Windows and Linux applications for NVIDIA Jetson, ARM64, and other edge compute platforms connected to cameras, sensors, and mission systems. Integrate RGB, NIR, and thermal cameras alongside GPS, IMU, and other sensors using interfaces such as MIPI CSI, GMSL, Ethernet, serial, or comparable hardware-facing protocols. Develop calibration, synchronisation, data capture, diagnostics, inspection, and configuration tools for complex sensor systems. Optimise software for latency, throughput, reliability, power consumption, and thermal performance on constrained edge compute platforms. Debug challenging issues spanning application software, Linux, networking, hardware interfaces, timing, deployment, and system integration. Own technical outcomes from ambiguous requirements through design, implementation, integration, verification, and delivery. Collaborate across systems, hardware, AI, autonomy, product, and test teams to deliver integrated capability. Required qualifications:: Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical