Flight Test Engineer

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Job Description:

Shield AI is seeking an experienced Flight Test Engineer to plan, execute, analyze, and improve 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, and manufacturing.  

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)