Be an Early Applicant
Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Paid full-time co-op for rising 2027 graduates to work on autonomous aircraft hardware. Own a tailored project (PCB design, power electronics, avionics bring-up, testing/HALT), collaborate with senior engineers, and contribute to prototype development, validation, and reliability testing.
Summary Generated by Built In
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and 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:
Our 2027 Co-Op program is an excellent opportunity for rising 2027 graduates to gain deep, hands-on experience in a mission-driven and innovative engineering environment. This paid, full-time program spans multiple months during the academic year, offering extended immersion in real-world hardware development and testing.
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 ideal start date is January 2027, and the end date is flexible. Recruitment for this role will not begin until August.
What you'll do:
- You will be given ownership of a project that is tailored to the start date, duration, and location of your Co-op.
- Your work will directly contribute to the success of our novel aircraft development program. You will understand exactly why your project matters and how it ties into our critical path development objectives.
- You will be partnered with a senior engineer as mentor and guide for technical input and professional development.
Examples of projects:
- Design a circuit board involving analog, digital, mixed signal, high speed circuits that enables us to test a prototype flight computer.
- Design, simulate, and verify high voltage power electronics (>10kW) DC/DC Converters and DC/AC inverters.
- Work with a senior engineer to bring-up and validate a new Avionics system.
- Identify bugs and drive changes to fix them.
- Build a test rack to deliver fully automated test coverage of a flight critical sub-system.
- Run a HALT campaign to ensure a series of new circuit boards are highly reliable.
Required qualifications:
- Have completed at least the 2nd year of a relevant degree. Typically, Electrical Engineering.
- Strong technical fundamentals.
- Have been part of an engineering team/club.
- Experience with electrical design software and tools such as Altium, KiCAD, an oscilloscope, etc.
- Demonstrated history of showing ownership of project outcomes and delivering exceptional results.
- Record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
#intern
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.
Skills Required
- Completed at least the 2nd year of a relevant degree (typically Electrical Engineering).
- Strong technical fundamentals.
- Have been part of an engineering team or club.
- Experience with electrical design software and tools such as Altium, KiCAD, an oscilloscope, etc.
- Demonstrated history of ownership of project outcomes and delivering exceptional results.
- Record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding high standards, and being kind to others.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance.
What the Team is Saying
Dylan
Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion
Mo
Lead Engineer, Platform Automation
Willy
Technical Director
Michael
Engineering Manager - State Estimation
Vibhav
Senior Staff Engineer
Kirby
Mechanical Engineer
Ryan
CEO
Evan
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
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The Company
What We Do
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 offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
