Engineer I, Flight Test (R6219)
San Diego · USD 74,000-110,000 / year · Onsite · Posted Oct 10, 2026
At a glance
- Workplace
- Onsite
- Location
- San Diego
- Salary
- USD 74,000-110,000 / year
About the role
- Shield AI is seeking an Engineer I, Flight Test to support test planning and execution for the integration of Hivemind Mission Autonomy capabilities onto unmanned platforms.
- The role involves assisting with test objectives, developing system-level test procedures, and configuring software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop test environments.
Responsibilities
- Support test planning and execution for integration of Hivemind Mission Autonomy capabilities onto unmanned platforms and mission-system configurations.
- Assist senior test engineers with defining test objectives, expected system behavior, acceptance criteria, verification methods, and test schedules.
- Help develop, execute, and maintain system-level test procedures, test cases, checklists, and test configurations.
- Support setup, configuration, operation, and troubleshooting of software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), simulation, laboratory, and automated test environments.
- Assist with installation, configuration, and verification of test hardware, software, networks, ground-control equipment, sensors, radios, computing systems, and supporting tools as applicable.
- Collect and organize test data, telemetry, logs, video, configuration information, and other evidence needed to evaluate system behavior.
- Help analyze test results, identify deviations from expected performance, document defects, and support root-cause investigations with systems, software, autonomy, and platform-integration teams.
- Contribute to performance metrics, test reports, test-readiness materials, dashboards, and other reporting artifacts for internal engineering teams and external stakeholders.
- Participate in test-readiness reviews, technical planning meetings, issue-triage sessions, and post-test debriefs.
- Travel periodically to internal test sites, customer locations, and platform-integration events as needed.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline, such as Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Robotics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Foundational experience with engineering test, integration, troubleshooting, or verification activities through coursework, internships, research, military service, laboratory work, personal projects, or professional experience.
- Familiarity with basic systems-engineering and test concepts, including requirements, verification, validation, test procedures, configuration management, defect tracking, and technical documentation.
- Interest in autonomous systems, robotics, unmanned aircraft systems, flight-test operations, simulation, embedded systems, or software-and-hardware integration.
- Familiarity with Linux, Windows, command-line tools, networking basics, and/or scripting or programming languages such as Python, Bash, C++, or similar tools.
- Ability to work methodically, follow detailed procedures, maintain accurate records, and manage several tasks in a fast-paced engineering environment.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills, including the ability to investigate unexpected system behavior using logs, telemetry, test results, and input from subject-matter experts.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical findings to cross-functional engineering teams.
- Demonstrated reliability, accountability, teamwork, attention to detail, and commitment to maintaining a respectful and high-performing engineering culture.
- Ability to travel periodically in support of integration, testing, and customer activities.
Preferred qualifications
- Internship, academic research, military, laboratory, personal-project, or professional experience involving UAS, autonomous vehicles, robotics, aviation, embedded systems, or complex integrated systems.
- Exposure to software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, simulation, modeling-and-simulation, or automated test environments.
- Familiarity with test automation, scripting, data collection, telemetry analysis, log analysis, or defect-tracking tools.
- Exposure to software-development and configuration-management practices, including Git, issue tracking, build systems, continuous integration, or test automation.
- Familiarity with basic networking concepts, including Ethernet, IP networking, UDP/TCP communication, and network troubleshooting.
- Exposure to flight-test, aviation, safety, or operational-risk-management processes.
- Working knowledge of Department of Defense development, test, evaluation, or acquisition processes, including Developmental Test and Evaluation (DT&E) or Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E).
- Experience working in a laboratory, integration facility, field-test environment, maker space, research environment, or similar hands-on technical setting.
Benefits
- Bonus
- Benefits
- Equity
Workplace
- Travel periodically to internal test sites, customer locations, and platform-integration events as needed.
Skills
- Python
- Bash
- C++
- Linux
- Windows
- Git
- Ethernet
- IP Networking
