Shield AI is seeking an highly motivated and experienced Flight Test Engineer to develop, plan, execute, and analyze ground and flight test operations for a fast-paced next gen aircraft system. You will work closely across several segment owners of engineering, operations, autonomy, systems integration, product support, manufacturing, and customers.
What you'll do:
- Develop, publish, and execute comprehensive flight test plans, procedures, cards, risk assessments, safety, and readiness reviews
- Support integration and test of aircraft systems, payloads, comms/data links, software, ground control systems, and mission equipment
- Lead and coordinate pre-flight, flight, and post-flight activities, including system configuration, instrumentation, telemetry, data collection and test reports
- Analyze ground and flight test data to identify performance trends, anomalies, root causes, and corrective actions
- Coordinate with engineering teams to validate requirements, troubleshoot issues, and mature system capabilities
- Lead or participate in test range operations, safety briefings, go/no-go decisions, and test setup and logistics
- Document test results, lessons learned, anomalies, and recommendations in clear technical reports
- Support aircraft maintenance, configuration control, and system readiness
- Create and improve flight test processes, tools, data workflows, and operational efficiency
- Create and maintain ground and air operating limitations requirements
- Travel to test sites, customer locations, and field exercises as required
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM Degree)
- 5+ years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned/manned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Strong understanding of aircraft systems, flight dynamics, avionics, telemetry, sensors, or control systems
- Proven ability to write and execute structured test plans, procedures, and reports
- Strong troubleshooting skills in field and/or lab environments
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work across engineering and operations teams
- Willingness to travel and work outdoors, fields, or test range environments
- Overtime and weekend coverage as required
- U.S. Citizenship Only with In-Scope active Secret clearance required to start
Preferred qualifications:
- 8+ years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Experience in Group 4-5 UAS and/or fighter type capability or similar weapons systems
- Familiarity with FAA, DoW, and test range flight operations
- Experience with autonomy, navigation, mission planning, and Command-and-Control (C2) systems
- Hands-on experience with aircraft maintenance, avionics integration, payload integration, and ground support equipment
- Experience with telemetry systems, flight and data logs, sensor data, datalinks, and RF systems
- Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate or crewed aviation experience
- Proven Mission Control Room experience using Integrated Analysis & Data System (IADS) or similar development FTI display system
- Experience leading or supporting developmental flight test campaigns from design through planning and execution to include reporting
Ideal candidate:
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics
- 5+ years of developmental or operational ground and flight test, unmanned or manned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering experience
- Strong understanding of aircraft systems, flight dynamics, avionics, telemetry, sensors, or control systems
- Ability to write and execute structured test plans, procedures, and reports
- Strong troubleshooting skills in field or laboratory environments
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work across engineering and operations teams
- Willingness to travel and work outdoors, in fields, or in test-range environments
- Availability for overtime and weekend coverage as required
- U.S. citizenship
- In-scope active Secret security clearance required at start
- 8+ years of relevant ground and flight test, unmanned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering experience
- Experience with Group 4-5 UAS, fighter-type capabilities, or similar weapons systems
- Familiarity with FAA, Department of War, and test-range flight operations
- Experience with autonomy, navigation, mission planning, and C2 systems
- Aircraft maintenance, avionics integration, payload integration, and ground support equipment experience
- Experience with telemetry, flight and data logs, sensor data, datalinks, and RF systems
- Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate or crewed aviation experience
- Mission Control Room experience using IADS or a similar flight-test instrumentation display system
- Experience leading or supporting developmental flight-test campaigns from design through planning, execution, and reporting
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
Gallery
%203.jpg)
Shield AI Teams
.jpg)
Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
