Senior Staff Engineer, Test Director (R5446)
Job details
- Work mode
- On-site
- Employment
- Full-time
- Level
- Executive
- Posted
- Sep 14, 2026
- Last confirmed open
- Oct 24, 2026
What you'll need to apply
Fields this application requires
Company-specific questions
- This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to export controls, such as EAR. Are you any of the following?
- Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces?
- Please state your full legal name:
- Are you a transitioning service member?
- What full time job(s) are you applying for?essay
About this role
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.
As a Senior Staff Flight Test Engineer / Test Director, you will serve as the end-to-end Test Director for the integration, verification, and flight test of Hivemind Mission Autonomy on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). You will own the technical direction, execution, and readiness of test campaigns, applying a fly–fix–fly methodology to rapidly mature autonomy capabilities from simulation and lab environments through flight.
In this role, you are the single technical authority for test execution—responsible for determining test readiness, directing test conduct, managing risk, and ensuring data-driven decisions throughout development and flight test operations. You will lead cross-functional teams across engineering, safety, and program management, aligning stakeholders around clear objectives, disciplined execution, and continuous learning.