Shield AI is pioneering AI pilots for aircraft that protect service members and civilians—pushing the boundaries of autonomous flight. V-BAT is designed for deployment in the most demanding, high-stakes environments.
We are looking for a failure analysis engineer to join our team, focused on the design, integration and troubleshooting of electronics systems critical to our aircraft. This role is perfect for an engineer with a solid foundation in power systems, embedded systems who is eager to grow, own challenging projects, and see their work move rapidly from concept to flight. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, enjoy solving complex problems, and want to help build the future of autonomous aviation, we want to hear from you.
What you'll do:
- Lead failure analysis investigations for avionics hardware, including: PCBAs (digital, analog, power, mixed-signal), harnesses, connectors, and interconnects
- Perform root cause analysis (RCA) using structured methodologies (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, Fault Tree, etc.)
- Conduct and/or oversee electrical, mechanical, and environmental failure analysis
- Collaborate with design engineers to identify design vulnerabilities, manufacturing and suppliers on process-related issues
- Work closely with cross-functional teams (reliability, mechanical, embedded, software, production, supply chain, etc.)
- Drive design, process, and supplier corrective actions to closure
- Author clear, data-driven failure analysis reports and present findings to technical and program leadership
- Mentor junior engineers and help establish best practices for failure analysis and reliability
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering; or equivalent work experience
- You have 8+ years of experience in failure analysis, reliability, or hardware debug for aerospace, defense, or high-reliability electronics
- Strong technical fundamentals
- Experienced with cross-sectioning, microscopy, X-ray, and other FA techniques
- Strong hands-on experience with PCBA failure mechanisms (solder joints, vias, components, PCB materials), Harnesses, connectors, crimping, shielding, and interconnect reliability
- Demonstrated track record of extreme ownership, working hard, and delivering outstanding outcomes
- A track record of successfully delivery of products and solutions, overcome obstacles, and deliver high-quality solutions to meet project deadlines and exceed expectations in a fast-paced environment
- Proactively identify opportunities for improvement within organization, demonstrating initiative to propose and implement
- innovative solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and overall project success and aircraft reliability
- Ability to independently drive investigations from symptom to root cause
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or equivalent experience
- 8+ years in failure analysis, reliability, or hardware debug for aerospace, defense, or high-reliability electronics
- Strong technical fundamentals in electrical/electronics engineering
- Experience with cross-sectioning, microscopy, X-ray, and other failure analysis techniques
- Hands-on experience with PCBA failure mechanisms (solder joints, vias, components, PCB materials)
- Experience with harnesses, connectors, crimping, shielding, and interconnect reliability
- Proven ability to independently drive investigations from symptom to root cause
- Track record of delivering products and solutions under deadlines in fast-paced environments
- Demonstrated ownership, initiative, and ability to propose and implement process improvements
What the Team is Saying
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.
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.
