Shield AI · 3 days ago
Manager, Autonomy Applications Engineering (R3722)
San Diego, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$160K/yr - $240K/yr
7+ years expShield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company focused on protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. As the Manager of Autonomy Applications Engineering, you will lead a team developing internal demonstrations and ensuring operational readiness of solutions prior to customer engagement.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Autonomous VehiclesDronesMachine LearningNational Security
Responsibilities
Manage and mentor a team of 4–5 applications engineers focused on customer-aligned workflows and solutions
Lead cross-functional projects to build and maintain internal CONOPs that mirror real-world use of the SDK
Work hands-on with reference autonomy platforms (e.g., quadcopters, UAV, simulations) to validate system functionality
Act as the voice of the customer, turning field feedback into actionable insights for product and engineering teams
Collaborate across product, engineering, and GTM teams to ensure our tools and demos anticipate customer needs
Ensure internal validation and demonstration of features ahead of customer delivery
Oversee the development and rollout of advanced technical training courses and materials
Align demonstrations and training with the goal of enabling customers to achieve first deployment within 120 days
Celebrate and share learnings from customer successes, reinforcing the team’s contribution to fast and effective adoption
Track team performance, project milestones, and training delivery outcomes
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
7+ years of industry experience, including:
2+ years in a customer-facing or autonomy-focused engineering role
2+ years leading technical teams or engineering projects
Experience with autonomy platforms or robotic systems (hardware and/or simulation)
Proficiency in C++ and working knowledge of Python
Strong communication, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills
Ability to convert technical workflows into high-quality training and documentation
Preferred
Experience developing or validating autonomy software for aerial or ground robotics platforms
Familiarity with concept development, mission rehearsal, or operational planning
Experience creating and delivering technical training programs or enablement content
Background in defense, aviation, or high-assurance embedded systems environments
Benefits
Bonus
Benefits
Equity
Temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Company
Shield AI
Shield AI is a deep-tech company that focuses on developing AI-powered systems to enhance the safety of service members and civilians.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Shield AI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (3)
2024 (3)
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$1.31BKey Investors
Hercules CapitalUS Innovative Technology FundSnowpoint Ventures
2025-03-06Series F· $240M
2023-12-29Debt Financing· $200M
2023-10-31Series F· $300M
Leadership Team
Gary Steele
Chief Executive Officer
Brandon Tseng
Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-12-11
Company data provided by crunchbase