At Shield AI, we are revolutionizing defense technology to protect service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Our Integration Test Engineering team plays a critical role in ensuring the X-BAT remains the most reliable, mission-ready UAV in the industry. We design cutting-edge test solutions—custom-built electrical and systems that push our hardware to its limits in real-world and extreme environments integrated with a wide variety of instrumentation to assure mission integrity.
As an Electrical Engineer on our Hardware Test team, you’ll have the opportunity to design and automate test systems that validate everything from power electronics to RF communications. You'll work hands-on with PCB design, Python scripting, and advanced environmental testing (HASS, ESS, HALT) to ensure the highest standards of reliability. If you're passionate about building rock-solid hardware and thrive in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment, this role is for you.
What you'll do:
- Design and own test systems for critical UAV electrical system test, from concept to validation.
- Work across multiple EE disciplines, including power electronics, RF, communications, and system integration.
- Develop PCBs to interface between test stands and the device-under-test (DUT).
- Build custom test fixtures integrating PCBAs, Test Equipment, and harnessing for automated and high-fidelity testing.
- Automate test sequences using Python, ensuring repeatability, efficiency, and scalability.
- Collaborate in cross-functional design reviews, advocating for testability improvements that streamline hardware validation.
- Adapt and innovate in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment, where your work directly impacts mission success.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience.
- Strong foundation in electrical, mechanical, and software engineering principles.
- Experience in multidisciplinary hardware projects—whether through internships, jobs, clubs, personal projects, or research.
- A track record of ownership, innovation, and delivering results in complex technical environments.
- A team-first mindset, holding yourself and others to high standards, while being adaptable and solution-oriented.
- A track 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.
Preferred qualifications:
- Proficiency in Python or other scripting languages for automation.
- Experience with PCB design tools (Altium, KiCAD, Eagle, etc.).
- Familiarity with CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX, CATIA) for mechanical fixture design.
- Ability to problem-solve under pressure and pivot quickly in a dynamic, fast-paced engineering environment.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience
- Strong foundation in electrical, mechanical, and software engineering principles
- Experience in multidisciplinary hardware projects (internships, jobs, clubs, personal projects, or research)
- Track record of ownership, innovation, and delivering results in complex technical environments
- Team-first mindset; high standards, adaptable and solution-oriented
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
- Proficiency in Python or other scripting languages for automation
- Experience with PCB design tools (Altium, KiCAD, Eagle)
- Familiarity with CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX, CATIA) for mechanical fixture design
- Ability to problem-solve under pressure and pivot quickly in a dynamic environment
What the Team is Saying
Shield Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage are described as strong and affordable, and offerings include a mental-health assistance program. Overall impressions point to good plan value for many employees.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with employer matching is highlighted positively, with accounts describing a company match and favorable experiences. Current match formulas and vesting are noted as worth confirming.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Full-time hires receive equity (often via RSUs), positioned as a meaningful component of total rewards. A double-trigger structure is noted as potentially deferring taxes until a liquidity event.
Shield Insights
What We Do
At Shield you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Shield Teams
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Shield Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
