State Estimation Engineering Spring 2026 Co-Op

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 and X-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 Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube .

Job Description:
Shield AI is seeking an exceptional Co-op candidate to join the team in building our autonomous aircraft. You will join a team of highly talented cross-functional engineers that exhibit a culture of mentorship, kindness, ownership, and hard work. The start date and duration of the Co-op are flexible.

The state estimation team is responsible for driving the development, optimization, and deployment of advanced sensor fusion algorithms for autonomous UAV navigation in dynamic and contested environments. You will get hands on experience in the design and implementation of 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 sensor algorithms for processing data from IMUs, radar, cameras, GPS, and other sensors.
• Enhance state estimation algorithms by integrating multi-sensor data for improved accuracy and robustness.
• Design and implement real-time sensor data processing pipelines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including software engineers, autonomy researchers, and hardware engineers, to ensure seamless integration of state estimation algorithms.
• Conduct experiments and field tests to validate the performance of state estimation algorithms in real-world scenarios.
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in sensor technologies and state estimation , applying them to our systems.

Required Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 2 years of coursework towards a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering (or related field)
• Interest in developing and deploying real-time sensor processing algorithms, e.g. with cameras, radar, IMUs, GPS, etc.
• Strong C/C++ background
• Experience in a collaborative development environment, focused on continuous integration/delivery & unit testing to assure software quality
• Familiarity with common version control (git) and build systems (CMake, or similar)
• Demonstrated record of working hard, strong communication skills, being a trustworthy teammate, and being kind to others

$35 - $50 an hour

Rising Bachelor's graduate = $35/hour

Rising Master's graduate = $43/hour

Rising PhD graduate = $50/hour

• Housing stipend provided for those who qualify.

This role may also be eligible for certain benefits like PTO, 401k, healthcare, etc.

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.

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.