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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Support environmental and stress testing, failure analysis, and reliability assessments for VBAT flight hardware. Collaborate with design, manufacturing, and suppliers to implement design-for-reliability practices, participate in FMEAs and design reviews, analyze test and field data, and develop corrective actions and process improvements. Use data tools (e.g., Python) and occasionally travel to support testing or supplier engagements.
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:As a Hardware Reliability Engineer (Engineer II) at Shield AI, you will support efforts to ensure the robustness and long-term performance of our VBAT flight hardware. You’ll work closely with design, manufacturing, and supplier teams to help implement design-for-reliability best practices and assist with reliability verification activities from concept through production.
In this role, you will contribute to environmental and stress testing efforts, support failure analysis investigations, and help analyze test and field data to identify potential reliability risks. You’ll participate in design reviews and FMEA activities, assist in root cause investigations for manufacturing and field issues, and support initiatives to improve hardware reliability across the program.
What you'll do:
- Support environmental and stress testing efforts (e.g., temperature cycling, vibration, HALT/HASS) to validate hardware reliability
- Assist in failure analysis and root cause investigations for manufacturing non-conformances and field returns
- Analyze test results and field data to help identify potential failure modes and reliability risks
- Collaborate with design engineers to incorporate design-for-reliability best practices
- Participate in design reviews and FMEA activities to evaluate potential issues
- Support development of corrective actions and process improvements to enhance hardware reliability
- Assist in reviewing materials, manufacturing processes, and component selection for reliability considerations
- Utilize data analysis tools (e.g., Python) to support reliability assessments and reporting
- Work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and supplier teams
- Travel occasionally to support testing or supplier engagements as needed
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related field
- 1–3 years of experience (internships or co-ops acceptable) in hardware, materials, or reliability engineering
- Foundational understanding of materials science, electronics (PCBs/PCBAs), and/or mechanical systems
- Familiarity with basic reliability concepts and environmental testing methods
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Ability to work in a team-oriented, cross-functional environment
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Hands-on experience with failure analysis or lab testing (academic or industry)
- Exposure to environmental testing (temperature, vibration, HALT/HASS)
- Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as PCB fabrication, SMT, or mechanical assembly
- Basic proficiency in Python or similar tools for data analysis
- Exposure to industry standards such as IPC, JEDEC, MIL, or similar
#LI-JM2
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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
- Bachelor's degree in Materials, Mechanical, Reliability Engineering, or related field
- 1-3 years experience in hardware, materials, or reliability engineering (internships/co-ops acceptable)
- Foundational understanding of materials science, electronics (PCBs/PCBAs), and/or mechanical systems
- Familiarity with basic reliability concepts and environmental testing methods (temperature, vibration, HALT/HASS)
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
- Ability to work in a team-oriented, cross-functional environment
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to obtain S//SAR level security clearance
- Hands-on experience with failure analysis or lab testing (academic or industry)
- Exposure to environmental testing (temperature, vibration, HALT/HASS)
- Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as PCB fabrication, SMT, or mechanical assembly
- Basic proficiency in Python or similar tools for data analysis
- Exposure to industry standards such as IPC, JEDEC, MIL, or similar
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
