Senior Safety-Critical Software Engineer (R5788)

The role

You will help design, build and test a safety-critical Run-Time Assurance product that keeps aircraft autonomy safe in real time. The work is C++ development and integration for X-BAT, a Group 5 collaborative combat aircraft UAV.

What you will do

• Develop, integrate and test configurable Run-Time Assurance components that monitor autonomy behavior.
• Adapt reusable C++ safety capabilities into production runtime components, with interface wiring and unit, component and integration tests.
• Implement real-time C++ code between mission autonomy, high-assurance middleware and flight-control interfaces.
• Integrate safety-critical software with aircraft hardware for hardware-in-the-loop and flight-test campaigns, from single-aircraft tests to multi-agent operations.
• Strengthen engineering evidence through CI, static and dynamic analysis, code reviews, documentation, designs, ICDs and traceability artifacts.
• Share safe software practices through code reviews, design discussions and technical write-ups.

Required qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree, or 4 years with a Master's degree, or 2 years with a PhD, or equivalent work experience.
• Strong C++ development experience, including modern C++, testing, debugging and performance-aware design.
• Experience building software for real-time, embedded, robotics, autonomy, aerospace or similarly constrained systems.
• Experience integrating software with hardware, simulation, Hardware in the Loop or production-like test environments, and diagnosing reliability or performance issues.
• Familiarity with C++ software design patterns and working within an existing architecture.
• Strong Git and Linux development skills, with modern practices such as CI/CD and test-focused development.
• Ability to write clear technical documentation and collaborate across software, systems, test and platform teams.
• Offer contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.

Nice to have

• Experience with autonomy middleware, interface definitions, Python-based configuration tooling, CMake, Conan or reusable C++ library integration.
• Familiarity with high-reliability or safety-critical practices such as static analysis, coding standards, traceability and requirements-based testing.
• Experience developing against strict C++ coding standards such as MISRA C++ or JSF AV C++.
• Hands-on experience with airworthiness or software assurance frameworks such as MIL-HDBK-516, DO-178C or equivalent.
• Experience taking a software component through verification, qualification or certification evidence review.

Benefits

• Bonus
• Benefits package for full-time regular employees
• Equity for full-time regular employees
• Temporary benefits package for temporary employees, applicable after 60 days of employment

Before you apply

• Offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.
• Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.
• Ask your talent acquisition representative for more information about benefits.

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.