Principal Embedded Software Architect (R3002)
Shield AI
What You'll Do:
- Architect, implement, and optimize EdgeOS middleware services focused on deterministic execution, inter-process communication (IPC), memory/resource management, and runtime orchestration
- Design and maintain developer-facing software platforms (SDKs, APIs, build systems) that abstract embedded system complexity while ensuring performance and reliability
- Act as the technical authority and principal contributor for deeply embedded, high-performance systems, ensuring low-latency responsiveness and robust fault isolation
- Collaborate extensively across autonomy product teams (e.g., Hivemind Pilot, Forge, Commander), customer engineering, and external development partners
- Lead architectural reviews, roadmap planning, and critical technical decisions impacting platform scalability and safety
- Champion and enforce software quality, modularity, code performance, and maintainability through mentorship and rigorous engineering practices.
Required Qualifications:
- 15+ years of experience building large, production-grade software systems, including:
- Proven expertise designing developer-facing tools and SDKs for embedded system integration and deployment
- Strong Linux systems knowledge and experience developing high-reliability code in resource-constrained environments
- In-depth understanding of networking protocols (UDP, TCP, routing, QoS) and the design of robust networked applications
- Familiarity with standard SDLC tools, including Git, code review systems, CI/CD, and issue tracking
- Clear record of being a high-integrity contributor: diligent, accountable, and collaborative.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in the aerospace, defense, or robotics industries with exposure to safety-critical systems
- Familiarity with interoperability standards in defense/autonomy contexts (e.g., STANAG4586, Mavlink)
- Exposure to cloud-connected embedded systems and integrating edge platforms with modern cloud services
- Background in technical leadership; as a team lead, staff engineer, or cross-functional architect.