Shield AI is seeking a Quality Engineer to support the development, inspection, execution, and continuous improvement of the X-BAT program. This fast-paced role is responsible for ensuring weapons system hardware, assemblies, suppliers, manufacturing processes, test processes, and final products meet engineering requirements and quality standards.
You will work closely with test operations, manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, program management, and suppliers to identify quality risks, resolve nonconformances, improve processes, and deliver reliable mission critical operations.
What you'll do:
- Support quality planning, inspections, readiness, and acceptance activities for the weapons system and subsystems
- Review engineering drawings, specifications, work instructions, inspection plans, and acceptance criteria
- Develop and maintain quality documentation, including inspection plans, control plans, first article inspections, nonconformance reports, corrective actions, and quality records
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action efforts for manufacturing defects, supplier issues, test failures, process/procedure failures, and any other quality concerns
- Support material review board activities, disposition of nonconforming material, and implementation of containment actions
- Work with manufacturing and engineering teams to build, process capability, and product reliability
- Analyze quality data, defect trends, performance, and escape rates to identify improvement opportunities
- Participate in supplier quality activities, including issue resolution, corrective actions, and quality flow-down requirements
- Ensure compliance with applicable aerospace, defense, customer, and internal quality requirements
- Promote a culture of safety, compliance, accountability, and continuous improvement
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in science, Engineering, Technology, and Math (STEM), Quality Engineering or related field, or similar experience levels supporting developmental test operations.
- 5-10 years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned/manned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Experience in quality engineering, ground and flight test execution, maintenance, manufacturing engineering, supplier quality, production support, or aerospace hardware
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, bills of materials, work instructions, and inspection requirements
- Proven experience with nonconformance management, root cause analysis, corrective action, trend analysis, and quality documentation
- Familiarity with inspection methods, measurement tools, and manufacturing processes used in aerospace or complex hardware integration and development test environments
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
- Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, test operations, supply chain, and program leadership
- Maintains liaison with manufacturing, engineering, material management, suppliers to resolve quality problems
- Detail-oriented approach with a strong commitment to product quality and process discipline
- Ability to work in a fast-paced ground and flight test environment
- Willingness to travel and work outdoors at test ranges and other program requirements
- Overtime and weekend coverage as required
Preferred qualifications:
- 10+ years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Knowledge of AS9100, ISO9001, FAA, DoW, and other aerospace and defense quality standards
- Experience with first acritical inspections
- Experience supporting protype aircraft, weapon systems, or mission critical aerospace systems
- Familiarity with configuration management, drawing release processes, and engineering change processes
- Experience using quality tools such as 8D, 5 Why’s, Fishbone diagrams, FMEA, control plans, or process capability analysis
- Certified Quality Engineer, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, or related certification
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in STEM, Quality Engineering, or related field or equivalent experience
- 5-10 years experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned/manned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Experience in quality engineering, ground and flight test execution, maintenance, manufacturing engineering, supplier quality, or production support for aerospace hardware
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, bills of materials, work instructions, and inspection requirements
- Proven experience with nonconformance management, root cause analysis, corrective action, trend analysis, and quality documentation
- Familiarity with inspection methods, measurement tools, and manufacturing processes used in aerospace or complex hardware integration and development test environments
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
- Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, test operations, supply chain, and program leadership
- Maintain liaison with manufacturing, engineering, material management, and suppliers to resolve quality problems
- Detail-oriented with strong commitment to product quality and process discipline
- Ability to work in a fast-paced ground and flight test environment, including willingness to travel and work outdoors at test ranges
- Willingness to provide overtime and weekend coverage as required
- 10+ years experience with developmental/operational ground and flight test or unmanned aircraft systems
- Knowledge of AS9100, ISO9001, FAA, DoW and other aerospace and defense quality standards
- Experience with First Article Inspections
- Experience supporting prototype aircraft, weapon systems, or mission-critical aerospace systems
- Familiarity with configuration management, drawing release, and engineering change processes
- Experience using quality tools such as 8D, 5 Why's, Fishbone diagrams, FMEA, control plans, or process capability analysis
- Certified Quality Engineer, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, or related certification
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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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
