Principal Engineer, State Estimation (R3887)

Job Description

Job Description

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the 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 :

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.

Your expertise will contribute to transitioning cutting-edge research into deployable solutions, helping Shield AI push the boundaries of UAV autonomy and situational awareness.

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 :

Preferred qualifications :

#LI-JM2

#LF

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.

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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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.