Principal State Estimation Engineer (Autonomous Aircraft, UAVs) - 3471462

Job Title:

Principal State Estimation Engineer (Autonomous Aircraft, UAVs)

Company:

Shield AI

Type of Position:

DIRECT HIRE

Candidate Requirements:

This role is open only to US Citizens and Permanent Residents (Green Card Holders); candidates requiring visa sponsorship (e.g., H1B, F1-OPT, F1-CPT, TN, etc.) are not eligible. While a security clearance is not required, candidates may be subject to a background check and a drug screening, which could include testing for cannabis. There would be no exceptions to the drug screening (eg: for individuals with a medical marijuana card).

Job Location:

This will be an on-site role based in Frisco, TX. Relocation assistance is available for non-local candidates.

Compensation:

Compensation is commensurate with experience, education, and skill level. We are generally targeting $325K/yr to $375K/yr, but there will be flexibility.

Benefits:

• Available and very competitive (health insurance, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, etc).
• This role includes a performance bonus and company equity, allowing you to share in Shield AI’s growth and success.

About Shield AI:

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown a fighter jet (F-16), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (V-BAT), and a quadcopter (Nova). The company has offices throughout the USA and across the world. Shield AI’s products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies.

Role Summary:

As a Principal State Estimation Engineer, you will play a key role on the GNC team, driving the development, optimization, and deployment of advanced sensor fusion algorithms for autonomous UAV navigation in dynamic and contested environments. You will design and implement real-time sensor processing pipelines, integrate multi-sensor data for robust navigation and state estimation, and collaborate closely with autonomy researchers, software engineers, and hardware teams to ensure seamless system performance.  

What You’ll Do:

• Develop and implement advanced state estimation algorithms, including inertial navigation, sensor fusion, and alternative navigation techniques for denied environments.
• Design and optimize state estimation frameworks to integrate data from IMUs, GNSS receivers, visual odometry, magnetometers, barometers, and radar systems.
• Build real-time sensor processing pipelines for UAV platforms, focusing on robustness, accuracy, and failover performance.
• Collaborate with autonomy, software, and hardware teams to ensure seamless integration of state estimation components within larger autonomous systems.
• Lead simulation, lab testing, and field validation of state estimation algorithms to assess performance under varying operational conditions.
• Stay on the forefront of navigation and state estimation innovation—adapting emerging technologies and research into deployable, mission-ready solutions.

Required Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience with a bachelor’s degree; or 14 years with a master’s degree; or a PhD with 12 years of experience; or equivalent practical experience.
• Deep experience developing real-time navigation and/or sensor fusion algorithms with IMUs, GPS, and other sensors.
• Strong understanding of state estimation techniques (e.g., Kalman filters, extended and unscented variants, particle filters, etc.).
• Proficiency with C++11 or newer; experience with real-time operating environments.
• Comfort with Linux, scripting, and standard development tools.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; ability to work across engineering disciplines and with external partners.
• Proven track record of successfully shipping products, showcasing the ability to navigate through development cycles, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions to meet project deadlines and exceed expectations in a fast-paced environment.  
• You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing and implementing inertial navigation solutions for GPS-denied or degraded environments.
• Knowledge of computer vision techniques  
• Proficiency in optimizing algorithms for compute-constrained systems  
• Experience with CUDA or other hardware acceleration technologies (e.g. FPGAs)  
• Proven track record of transitioning from R&D to production

Work Environment / Other Info:

• You’ll split your time between office-based engineering work and hands-on efforts with our aircraft. This means moving between an office environment to working directly with hardware on-site.
• Offer may be contingent upon a drug screen and background check (drug screen would include cannabis).
• Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

How to Apply for This Job:

#HRUShield