Key responsibilities include developing test plans and procedures, executing verification and validation (V&V) efforts, analyzing test data, and collaborating cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and program teams. The ideal candidate has strong experience with aerospace or defense systems, familiarity with regulatory standards (e.g., DO-178C, DO-254, MIL HDBK 516c), and a proven ability to troubleshoot complex system issues.
Qualifications include a degree in engineering or a related field, 7+ years of relevant experience, and strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills. Experience with automated testing, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and flight test support is highly desirable.
What you'll do:
- Develop test plans and procedures
- Executing verification and validation (V&V) efforts, a
- Analyze test data
- Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and program teams
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
- Hands-on experience in testing (e.g., 3–7+ years depending on level) across software, hardware, or integrated systems
- Knowledge of test methodologies including verification & validation (V&V), regression testing, and test case development
- Experience with test tools and automation, such as scripting (Python, MATLAB, or similar) and test frameworks
- Ability to read and interpret technical documentation, requirements, and system specifications
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot and isolate defects
- Experience working in cross-functional teams (engineering, QA, systems, manufacturing)
- Familiarity with relevant standards (e.g., ISO, MIL-STD, DO-178C/DO-254 for aerospace/defense roles)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for documenting and reporting test results
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience testing and troubleshooting complex embedded systems.
- Experience with large programs and fielding first of type systems.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
- 7+ years of relevant engineering/testing experience
- Hands-on experience testing software, hardware, or integrated systems
- Knowledge of verification & validation (V&V), regression testing, and test case development
- Experience with test tools and automation, including scripting (Python, MATLAB, or similar) and test frameworks
- Ability to read and interpret technical documentation, requirements, and system specifications
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot and isolate defects
- Experience working in cross-functional teams (engineering, QA, systems, manufacturing)
- Familiarity with aerospace/defense standards (DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-HDBK-516C, MIL-STD, ISO)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills for documenting and reporting test results
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and flight test support
- Experience testing and troubleshooting complex embedded systems
- Experience with large programs and fielding first-of-type systems
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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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
