As an System Test Engineer I, you will support the integration, verification, and validation of Hivemind Mission Autonomy across a variety of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and mission applications. You will work with experienced test, systems, software, autonomy, hardware, and program teams to help prepare, execute, document, and improve system-level test activities.
This is a hands-on engineering role for an early-career candidate interested in autonomy, robotics, unmanned systems, simulation, software-and-hardware integration, and flight-test operations. You will help evaluate whether autonomy capabilities perform as intended in simulation, laboratory, hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, and, when applicable, flight-test environments.
Under the guidance of senior engineers, you will contribute to test planning, test execution, data collection, issue investigation, and technical documentation. You will also have opportunities to support integration events with internal teams, external platform partners, and customers.
What you'll do:
- Support test planning and execution for integration of Hivemind Mission Autonomy capabilities onto unmanned platforms and mission-system configurations.
- Assist senior test engineers with defining test objectives, expected system behavior, acceptance criteria, verification methods, and test schedules.
- Help develop, execute, and maintain system-level test procedures, test cases, checklists, and test configurations.
- Support setup, configuration, operation, and troubleshooting of software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), simulation, laboratory, and automated test environments.
- Assist with installation, configuration, and verification of test hardware, software, networks, ground-control equipment, sensors, radios, computing systems, and supporting tools as applicable.
- Collect and organize test data, telemetry, logs, video, configuration information, and other evidence needed to evaluate system behavior.
- Help analyze test results, identify deviations from expected performance, document defects, and support root-cause investigations with systems, software, autonomy, and platform-integration teams.
- Contribute to performance metrics, test reports, test-readiness materials, dashboards, and other reporting artifacts for internal engineering teams and external stakeholders.
- Assist with maintaining test infrastructure, test automation, simulation tools, and repeatable test configurations.
- Support development and maintenance of test procedures, standard operating procedures, configuration-control records, lessons learned, and engineering documentation.
- Participate in test-readiness reviews, technical planning meetings, issue-triage sessions, and post-test debriefs.
- Follow established safety, security, configuration-management, and operational procedures during laboratory, simulation, integration, and flight-test activities.
- Travel periodically to internal test sites, customer locations, and platform-integration events as needed.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline, such as Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Robotics, or a related field. Equivalent practical experience may be considered.
- Foundational experience with engineering test, integration, troubleshooting, or verification activities through coursework, internships, research, military service, laboratory work, personal projects, or professional experience.
- Familiarity with basic systems-engineering and test concepts, including requirements, verification, validation, test procedures, configuration management, defect tracking, and technical documentation.
- Interest in autonomous systems, robotics, unmanned aircraft systems, flight-test operations, simulation, embedded systems, or software-and-hardware integration.
- Familiarity with Linux, Windows, command-line tools, networking basics, and/or scripting or programming languages such as Python, Bash, C++, or similar tools.
- Ability to work methodically, follow detailed procedures, maintain accurate records, and manage several tasks in a fast-paced engineering environment.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, including the ability to investigate unexpected system behavior using logs, telemetry, test results, and input from subject-matter experts.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical findings to cross-functional engineering teams.
- Demonstrated reliability, accountability, teamwork, attention to detail, and commitment to maintaining a respectful and high-performing engineering culture.
- Ability to travel periodically in support of integration, testing, and customer activities.
Preferred qualifications:
- Internship, academic research, military, laboratory, personal-project, or professional experience involving UAS, autonomous vehicles, robotics, aviation, embedded systems, or complex integrated systems.
- Exposure to software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, simulation, modeling-and-simulation, or automated test environments.
- Familiarity with test automation, scripting, data collection, telemetry analysis, log analysis, or defect-tracking tools.
- Exposure to software-development and configuration-management practices, including Git, issue tracking, build systems, continuous integration, or test automation.
- Familiarity with basic networking concepts, including Ethernet, IP networking, UDP/TCP communication, and network troubleshooting.
- Exposure to flight-test, aviation, safety, or operational-risk-management processes.
- Working knowledge of Department of Defense development, test, evaluation, or acquisition processes, including Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) or Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E).
- Experience working in a laboratory, integration facility, field-test environment, maker space, research environment, or similar hands-on technical setting.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline such as aerospace, computer, electrical, mechanical, systems, or robotics engineering, computer science, or equivalent practical experience
- Foundational experience with engineering test, integration, troubleshooting, or verification activities
- Familiarity with systems engineering and test concepts, including requirements, verification, validation, test procedures, configuration management, defect tracking, and technical documentation
- Interest in autonomous systems, robotics, unmanned aircraft, flight-test operations, simulation, embedded systems, or software-and-hardware integration
- Familiarity with Linux, Windows, command-line tools, networking basics, and scripting or programming languages such as Python, Bash, or C++
- Ability to follow detailed procedures, maintain accurate records, and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced engineering environment
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills using logs, telemetry, test results, and subject-matter-expert input
- Clear written and verbal communication skills for communicating technical findings to engineering teams
- Reliability, accountability, teamwork, attention to detail, and commitment to a respectful engineering culture
- Ability to travel periodically for integration, testing, and customer activities
- Experience involving UAS, autonomous vehicles, robotics, aviation, embedded systems, or complex integrated systems
- Exposure to software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, simulation, modeling-and-simulation, or automated test environments
- Familiarity with test automation, scripting, data collection, telemetry analysis, log analysis, or defect-tracking tools
- Exposure to software development and configuration-management practices, including Git, issue tracking, build systems, continuous integration, or test automation
- Familiarity with Ethernet, IP networking, UDP/TCP communication, and network troubleshooting
- Exposure to flight-test, aviation, safety, or operational-risk-management processes
- Working knowledge of Department of Defense development, test, evaluation, or acquisition processes, including DT&E or OT&E
- Experience in a laboratory, integration facility, field-test environment, maker space, research environment, or similar hands-on technical setting
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with mental-health support and an EAP. Third-party benefits summaries also portray health coverage as a strong component of the package.
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Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with employer matching, cited on the careers page and independent benefits directories. Multiple sources indicate a match exists, though exact formulas have varied over time and warrant confirmation.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Company communications describe equity for all full-time hires and stock benefits as part of total rewards. Independent listings also note company equity/RSUs as a standard element.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, 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 AI 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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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
