Senior Engineer, Mechanical Test (R5091)

Job Description

Job Description

Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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 Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Job Description:

Do you enjoy working in a dynamic lab environment and contributing to hardware that can directly impact the safety of service members and civilians? Shield AI is looking for a hands-on engineer to help design, test, and validate the next generation of intelligent systems.

The Mechanical Test team’s mission is to inform and improve Shield AI hardware design by quantifying product performance through custom measurement systems, specialized testing, and rigorous analysis. This role will focus on vibration, modal, structural, and environmental testing to help engineering teams understand how our products perform in real-world operating conditions.

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about engineering principles, curious about how things work, and excited to grow in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. You will work closely with cross-functional partners to evaluate design performance, troubleshoot issues, and improve the customer experience.

Success in this role requires technical creativity, strong organization, clear communication, and a willingness to listen, learn, debate respectfully, and solve difficult problems as part of a high-performing team.

What you'll do:

• Apply technical and creative problem-solving skills to quickly design, build, and deploy instrumented test and measurement systems.
• Support manual and automated data collection, processing, and analysis.
• Use measurement science and engineering analysis to understand the static and dynamic inputs, loads, and system responses that drive product performance.
• Build trusted relationships with mechanical design teams and apply your expertise to help identify the best design paths quickly.
• Plan and execute test programs, including ground and flight vibration testing, modal testing for finite element model validation, vibration troubleshooting, and strain gauge testing of structural components.
• Perform shaker table testing and support hardware qualification and development test campaigns.
• Maintain test equipment and ensure calibration requirements remain current.
• Develop test plans, technical reports, and detailed data reviews that clearly communicate results and inform design decisions.
• Support other test and engineering activities as needed.

Required qualifications:

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Hands-on experience with vibration testing of mechanical systems; internship, research, or project team experience is applicable.
• Hands-on experience performing MIL-STD testing (e.g., MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461) including vibration, shock, thermal, and EMI/EMC testing.
• Experience with CAD modeling (NX preferred).
• Working knowledge of finite element analysis principles.
• Experience with modal testing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work hard, act as a trustworthy teammate, hold yourself and others to high standards, and treat others with kindness and respect.
• Track record of taking ownership of development processes, test efforts, or technical features and delivering high-quality outcomes.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment, navigate ambiguity, overcome obstacles, and deliver results on schedule.
• Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Preferred qualifications:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Leadership experience on a project, research, or product development team.
• Experience with root cause investigation, failure analysis, design of experiments, or structured problem-solving methods.
• Experience in startup, R&D, aerospace, defense, robotics, UAV, or high-reliability hardware environments.
• Demonstrated adaptability, agility, and ability to innovate under pressure while meeting dynamic project demands.

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Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

 

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

 

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

 

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.