Lead Software Test Engineer, XBAT; R3696

Lead Software Test Engineer, Next-Gen Aircraft (R3696) at Shield AI. We are seeking a Software Test Engineer to join the Software Integration & Operations team with the primary responsibility to lead our testing strategy and infrastructure development for our next-generation aircraft systems. For software components ranging from autonomy, embedded systems, and ground control applications, you will lead integration testing, release campaigns, and, most importantly, the design and development of the automated testing infrastructure.

This is an opportunity to build something new and solve problems the industry does not realize exist.

Your role will center around designing scalable, automated test infrastructure, validating mission-critical behaviors across simulation and real aircraft environments, and enabling rapid but safe deployments of software to flight operations. You will need to be a technical expert and an extreme owner, capable of leading complex engineering challenges in a fast-paced environment.

• Architect and lead development of a system that integrates simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) solutions, and CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing used by developers and test engineers daily to evaluate components (autonomy, controls, embedded, etc.) and their integration.
• Implement software interfaces and drivers to orchestrate simulation environments, hardware devices, and test equipment, enabling real-world behaviors, failure injection, and hardware manipulation.
• Define test cases to verify and validate software components as an integrated system and automate these tests for continuous execution on CI.
• Define and execute release test plans leading up to flight test events and major milestones.
• Build and sustain tools to optimize requirements-traceability between code and automated tests.
• Work cross-functionally across Aircraft Autonomy & Software teams to derive requirements for the aircraft system, test infrastructure, and quality gates. Partner with the Hardware Test team to define and obtain the hardware infrastructure we need.

• 7+ years of related experience with a BS degree (CE, CS, EE, or equivalent); or 5+ years with an MS or PhD degree.
• Excellent proficiency in Python or C++, primarily to build tools for automated testing.
• Demonstrated capability in building continuous integration testing solutions, using CI/CD pipelines, simulation, and/or hardware-in-the-loop solutions.
• Excellent understanding of software testing and quality assurance, with or without perfect system requirements.
• Experience testing real-time systems, avionics, or vehicle software.
• Ability to work independently in fast-paced environments, on complex challenges warranting cross-discipline collaboration.

• 3+ years building automated test solutions for aircraft or autonomous vehicles.
• Experience with requirements-traceability and building modern tools to optimize the processes required for airworthiness, DO-178C, or similar.
• Direct experience leading software releases or flight test campaigns for aircraft or autonomous vehicles.
• Experience with Linux, Docker, and standard software deployment tools.

• Salary range: $175,000 - $260,000 per year.
• Pay within range listed plus bonus, benefits, and equity (for full-time regular employees).
• Temporary employee offer package details apply after 60 days of employment (as applicable).

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.

• Senioritiy level:
  Mid-Senior level
• Employment type:
  
  Full-time
• Job function:
  Engineering and Information Technology
• Industries:
  Software Development