We are seeking a Propulsion Engineering Technician to join our advanced propulsion engineering team. You will be part of a small, high-performance group responsible for designing, building, and executing propulsion system tests that push the limits of autonomous aircraft capability. This role demands initiative, technical rigor, and the ability to define and execute test procedures for systems that have never been tested before.
You will design, fabricate, and maintain test fixtures and setups, develop and run test plans, and work hands-on with cutting-edge propulsion hardware and avionics. You will be involved in testing and qualifying prototype designs, first-article units, and hot-fire engine testing. Success in this role requires accountability, precision, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
What you'll do:
- Design, fabricate, assemble, and maintain custom test setups, fixtures, and instrumentation for engine and propulsion system validation.
- Develop and execute test plans for experimental propulsion systems and components in collaboration with engineering.
- Define and document test procedures and work instructions for new tests in environments with little or no precedent.
- Fabricate mechanical and electrical test hardware using composites, machined parts, 3D printing, adhesives, and aerospace-grade fasteners.
- Conduct and monitor propulsion system tests, including piston engine/propeller tests.
- Operate and maintain instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and specialized calibration tools.
- Support avionics integration, wire harness fabrication, and system-level electrical testing.
- Analyze test data, document findings, and provide feedback to engineering teams to improve designs and testing methodologies.
- Work closely with propulsion, mechanical, aerospace, structural, manufacturing, software, and electrical engineering teams to support R&D testing.
- Execute cross-functional test campaigns when other teams’ hardware or software integrates with propulsion systems.
- Ensure discipline, accuracy, and repeatability in all test results and reports.
Required qualifications:
- Proven experience designing and/or executing engineering test setups/fixtures, and test campaigns.
- Ability to self-direct test planning and execution with minimal supervision.
- Strong hands-on background in hardware or avionics fabrication, including machining, 3D printing, adhesive bonding, and/or wiring harnesses.
- Proficiency with precision tools, calibrated measurement equipment, power tools, thread specifications, and torque procedures.
- Comfortable working in shop and lab environments with exposure to noise, dust, and chemicals.
- Ability to lift and move parts and equipment (up to 50 lbs.) and perform physical work for extended periods.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in aerospace propulsion or engine development.
- Working knowledge of piston engines, preferably two-stroke.
- Experience with avionics systems, sensors, harness fabrication, and R&D testing environments.
- Familiarity with data acquisition systems, instrumentation calibration, and sensor integration.
- Deep understanding of torque, fastener, and adhesive specifications for aerospace hardware.
- Ability to interpret and analyze test data to inform engineering design decisions.
- Experience with command line syntax or microcontroller programming (Arduino or similar).
Skills Required
- Experience designing and/or executing engineering test setups, fixtures, and test campaigns
- Ability to self-direct test planning and execution with minimal supervision
- Hands-on hardware or avionics fabrication experience, including machining, 3D printing, adhesive bonding, and/or wiring harnesses
- Proficiency with precision tools, calibrated measurement equipment, power tools, thread specifications, and torque procedures
- Ability to work in shop and laboratory environments with exposure to noise, dust, and chemicals
- Ability to lift and move parts and equipment up to 50 pounds and perform physical work for extended periods
- Experience in aerospace propulsion or engine development
- Working knowledge of piston engines, preferably two-stroke
- Experience with avionics systems, sensors, harness fabrication, and R&D testing environments
- Familiarity with data acquisition systems, instrumentation calibration, and sensor integration
- Understanding of torque, fastener, and adhesive specifications for aerospace hardware
- Ability to interpret and analyze test data to inform engineering design decisions
- Experience with command line syntax or microcontroller programming, such as Arduino
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as excellent, with dental/vision and mental‑health support, and ancillary protections like life and disability appearing in benefit summaries. The breadth and perceived affordability of coverage are highlighted as a standout component of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is featured alongside enhanced maternity benefits, fertility and childcare support, and onsite resources such as a Mother’s Room. These elements are positioned as competitive and above the minimal baseline for the company’s stage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full‑time hires, with RSUs, double‑trigger tax timing, and tools to model scenarios (e.g., through Carta Tax). Communications also reference a transition from options to RSUs, reinforcing access and maturity of ownership programs.
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.
