Director of Test Engineering ACP Programs
Shield AI is a U.S. defense-technology company developing mission-autonomy software and autonomous aircraft for military and allied operations.
Funding history
Investors
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI builds Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft for operations in contested, GPS- and communications-denied environments. Its current site also presents Aechelon synthetic-reality simulation and Vision Systems detection and tracking products.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will lead integration and flight testing of Hivemind autonomy on group 5 ACP systems. Define test strategy, metrics, readiness criteria, infrastructure, safety controls, and execution across simulation, ground, and flight environments. Direct mission test operations and coordinate cross-functional and OEM delivery.
Requirements
- 15+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, 14+ years with a Master’s degree, or 12+ years with a PhD
- Experience leading flight test or large-scale system integration efforts
- Background in full-scale aviation test environments
- Experience with system-level verification and validation across SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight environments
- Experience planning and executing complex multi-phase flight test campaigns
- Experience across software, hardware, avionics, systems engineering, safety, and program teams
- Understanding of safety-of-flight principles, risk management, and test execution
- Python proficiency or similar tools for test automation, data analysis, or system validation
- Technical leadership and communication skills
- Ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET clearance
- U.S. citizenship
Responsibilities
- Act as Test Director and technical lead for integration and flight testing of Hivemind autonomy on group 5 ACP systems
- Own test strategy and execution across the development lifecycle
- Plan and execute large-scale flight test campaigns
- Direct mission autonomy test operations and approve test plans, procedures, and execution flow
- Coordinate execution across software, hardware, systems engineering, flight operations, safety, and program leadership
- Define mission-level performance metrics and success criteria
- Own the test infrastructure strategy
- Lead aircraft integration and flight test operations with platform OEM partners
- Define and enforce test readiness criteria, safety-of-flight, and mission risk management
- Make go or no-go decisions for ground and flight test events
- Establish and scale test processes, standards, and best practices aligned with DoD DT&E and OT&E expectations
Benefits
- Bonus
- Equity