Senior Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Test; R4325

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

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Job Description:

Shield AI is pioneering the development of AI-powered autonomous aircraft for national defense, pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation. Our next-generation UAS is a high‑endurance unmanned system designed to operate in complex, contested environments where reliability, robustness, and speed to field matter.

We are seeking a Senior Staff Mechanical Test Engineer to lead and own the strategy, architecture, and execution of mechanical test systems supporting flight hardware for our next‑generation UAS. This role is critical to ensuring hardware is qualified, validated, and sustained through aggressive development timelines and real‑world operational conditions.

In this role, you will act as a technical authority for mechanical test and ground support systems, driving requirements, trade studies, and design decisions while mentoring engineers and partnering closely with flight, manufacturing, and operations teams.

• Own the end‑to‑end mechanical test strategy for flight hardware, including requirements definition, architecture, design, build, and lifecycle sustainment of test systems.

• Lead the design and development of fixed and field‑deployable test stands, fixtures, and ground support equipment interfacing with aircraft structures, propulsion systems, motors, avionics, and subsystems.

• Drive structural, thermal, and fatigue analysis to validate designs for harsh military environments, transportability, and repeated use.

• Serve as the technical decision‑maker for mechanical test systems, balancing performance, cost, schedule, manufacturability, and maintainability.

• Review and approve detailed CAD models, drawings, and specifications; set standards for design quality, documentation, and configuration control.

• Lead and participate in cross‑functional design reviews (PDR/CDR/TRR), advocating for testability, simplicity, and rapid learning.

• Partner with suppliers and manufacturing teams to ensure scalable, cost‑effective production and long‑term sustainment of test hardware.

• Mentor and guide junior and mid‑level engineers, setting technical direction and raising the overall quality bar of the team.

• Support flight test and field operations, including rapid troubleshooting, test system modification, and on‑site integration when required.

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related STEM field.

• 7–10+ years of experience designing mechanical systems for aerospace, ground support equipment, test infrastructure, or heavy industrial systems.

• Deep mastery of mechanical fundamentals, including structural mechanics, materials, dynamics, and thermal behavior.

• Expert‑level proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, Solid Works, or equivalent), including complex assemblies and released drawings.

• Strong experience with structural analysis, material selection, and manufacturing processes for ruggedized, high‑reliability systems.

• Hands‑on experience designing test stands, fixtures, or support equipment for aerospace or similarly demanding applications.

• Proficiency with FEA, thermal analysis, and fatigue/lifecycle testing.

• Proven ability to operate in a fast‑paced, ambiguous environment, owning problems from concept through execution.

• Demonstrated history of high ownership, strong judgment, and collaborative leadership.

• Experience supporting UAS, aircraft, propulsion, or large aerospace‑grade structures.

• Experience designing field‑deployable or expeditionary test systems.

• Ability to rapidly prototype and manufacture designs in a machine shop or lab environment.

• Experience owning large‑scale test or facilities projects from concept through…