Senior Director of Engineering, Hivemind Pilot (R2794)

As the Director of Engineering for Hivemind Pilot, you will lead a talented team of autonomy and AI engineers responsible for the architecture, software development, and integration of Shield AI's core AI & Autonomy product. This role requires a blend of technical expertise in autonomy and software engineering, leadership, and strategic vision to drive the development of AI pilots for unmanned aerial vehicles. 

• Drive the technical direction and execution of the Hivemind Pilot product. 
• Lead a 40-50 person engineering team in developing and maintaining the architecture and software components of the Hivemind Pilot, along with many representative implementations. 
• Support the specialization of the Hivemind Pilot and integration for customer projects. 
• Manage competing business priorities and technical needs to create high quality engineering plans and deliver capabilities on time within budget. 
• Manage the software development life cycle for the Hivemind Pilot. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including program management, product management, sales, and customer success, to ensure successful product development and deployment. 
• Review customer requirements and decompose them into systems/engineering requirements. 
• Hire A-players at both manager and IC level to meet business objectives. 
• Foster a high-performance culture through mentorship, talent development, and effective team management. 
• Stay calm under pressure to keep team members aligned and focused. 
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices in AI and autonomy development. 

• MS in Computer Science, Autonomy, Robotics, or a related field (or equivalent experience). 
• 15+ years of total industry experience 
• 9+ years of experience in building and leading engineering teams  
• 5+ years of industry experience of building and leading a team of teams for mid-sized teams of 25-50 people.  
• Proven track record of successful product launches in Autonomy/AI/Robotics as a manager. 
• Strong expertise in autonomy and C++ software development.  
• Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.  
• Experience with agile development methodologies.  
• Proven experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while manage multiple evolving priorities effectively.
• Demonstrable experience in writing C++ code in past projects 
• Proficiency in development tools like Git, Jira, Azure Devops, GitHub, SharePoint, M365, etc. 

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Autonomy, Robotics, or a related field (or equivalent experience). 
• Domain expertise in unmanned aerial vehicle systems/autonomous vehicles 
• Familiarity with multi-agent systems/swarming, computer vision, and sensor integration. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think strategically. 
• Knowledge of industry trends and emerging technologies in AI and robotics. 
• 2+ years of experience working at high-growth startups. 

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