We are growing the Avionics Engineering team to support the development of the X-BAT aircraft. Our team is designing a flight-critical, custom avionics system supporting communications, compute, AI, power, telemetry and other essential aircraft systems.
Shield AI is seeking an early-career Test Engineer to support the testing and verification of X-BAT’s battery energy storage. This position will be primarily responsible for setting up, operating, and analyzing battery storage based test systems used to characterize energy storage.
The role sits at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, chemical and test engineering. You will partner closely with the Power Systems team and other cross-functional engineering groups throughout design, verification, integration and qualification.
This position is based in Seattle, WA, or San Diego, CA.
What you'll do:
- Setup and operate battery energy storage systems for testing
- Configure thermal chambers, battery cyclers, instrumentation, sensors, fixtures, harnesses and data-acquisition equipment
- Execute test campaigns for electrochemical subsystems, verifying voltage rails, logic levels, performance, thermal behavior and overall functionality
- Perform testing, debugging and system-level troubleshooting
- Collect and evaluate test data, identify abnormal behavior and communicate findings
- Support external test lab qualification testing, including failure modes, temperature, vibration, humidity and altitude
- Install, verify, and deploy DC-sources, power converters, test fixtures and harnesses
- Assist with the design and buildout of the battery test labs
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or higher in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or a related technical discipline
- Hands-on experience with batteries, powertrain systems, or comparable electrochemical equipment through employment, internships, academic teams, clubs or personal projects
- Experience setting up and executing hardware tests using instrumentation, sensors and data-acquisition equipment
- Experience troubleshooting systems involving electrical and mechanical components
- Familiarity with benchtop electrical equipment such as multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies and electronic loads
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical drawings and test procedures
- Understanding of laboratory safety practices, including the safe operation of high-voltage or high-power equipment
- Demonstrated ownership, reliable execution, clear documentation, and effective collaboration with engineers, technicians and cross-functional partners
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or higher in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Hands-on experience with batteries, powertrain systems, or comparable electrochemical equipment through employment, internships, academic teams, clubs, or personal projects
- Experience setting up and executing hardware tests using instrumentation, sensors, and data-acquisition equipment
- Experience troubleshooting systems involving electrical and mechanical components
- Familiarity with benchtop electrical equipment, including multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and electronic loads
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical drawings, and test procedures
- Understanding of laboratory safety practices, including safe operation of high-voltage or high-power equipment
- Demonstrated ownership, reliable execution, clear documentation, and effective collaboration with engineers, technicians, and cross-functional partners
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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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
