Shield AI
Senior Staff Engineer, Test Director (R5446)
$172K–$258K
Washington, D.C. · On-site · Senior Staff · Full-time · Posted Sep 14, 2026
- Experience
- 7+ years in system integration and test, including SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight test environments.
- Education
- B.S. degree in a STEM discipline (Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field).
About the job
Directs end-to-end integration, verification, and flight-test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy on unmanned aircraft systems, including test readiness, safety, execution, and reporting.
What you'll do
- Plan and direct system-level integration and fly–fix–fly test campaigns across lab, simulation, ground, and flight phases.
- Lead readiness decisions, test conduct, risk assessments, safety measures, and cross-functional coordination.
- Define test infrastructure, metrics, procedures, and reporting; document results and drive continuous improvement.
What they ask for
- B.S. degree in a STEM discipline (Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field).
- 7+ years of experience in system integration and test, including SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight test environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading test execution, with authority over test conduct, readiness, and risk decisions.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration, organization, and written and verbal communication skills.
Nice to have
- Working knowledge of DoD DT&E and OT&E processes and documentation expectations.
- Direct experience with UAS, autonomy, or robotic flight test operations; prior Test Director, Test Conductor, or Lead Flight Test Engineer experience.
Pay
USD 171,680–257,520 (per-year-salary); base salary
Tools
Hivemind Mission Autonomy, UAS, SIL, HIL, DoD DT&E, OT&E
AI focus
Test and mature Hivemind Mission Autonomy capabilities from simulation and lab environments through flight.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative