LIVE FEEDVIEWS 0UTC —
POSTING ACTIVE · REQ-24A3D · FY26.Q2
Flight Test Engineer, Staff (R5006)
Shield AI
[ COMPENSATION RANGE · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$120,000 – $190,000USD
MIDPOINT
$155,000
SPREAD
$70,000
LEVEL
LEAD
§ 01OVERVIEW
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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
§ 02JOB DESCRIPTION:
Shield AI is seeking an experienced Flight Test Engineer to plan, execute, analyze, and improve ground and flight test operations for a fast-paced next gen aircraft system. You will work closely across several segment owners of engineering, operations, autonomy, systems integration, product support, and manufacturing.
§ 03WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Develop, publish, and execute comprehensive flight test plans, procedures, cards, risk assessments, safety, and readiness reviews
- Support integration and test of aircraft systems, payloads, comms/data links, software, ground control systems, and mission equipment
- Lead and coordinate pre-flight, flight, and post-flight activities, including system configuration, instrumentation, telemetry, data collection and test reports
- Analyze ground and flight test data to identify performance trends, anomalies, root causes, and corrective actions
- Coordinate with engineering teams to validate requirements, troubleshoot issues, and mature system capabilities
- Lead or participate in test range operations, safety briefings, go/no-go decisions, and test setup and logistics
- Document test results, lessons learned, anomalies, and recommendations in clear technical reports
- Support aircraft maintenance, configuration control, and system readiness
- Create and improve flight test processes, tools, data workflows, and operational efficiency
- Create and maintain ground and air operating limitations requirements
- Travel to test sites, customer locations, and field exercises as required
§ 04REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM Degree)
- 5-10 years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned/manned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Strong understanding of aircraft systems, flight dynamics, avionics, telemetry, sensors, or control systems
- Proven ability to write and execute structured test plans, procedures, and reports
- Strong troubleshooting skills in field and/or lab environments
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work across engineering and operations teams
- Willingness to travel and work outdoors, fields, or test range environments
- Overtime and weekend coverage as required
§ 05PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of experience with developmental and/or operational ground and flight test, unmanned aircraft systems, aircraft integration, or aerospace systems engineering
- Experience in Group 4-5 UAS and/or fighter type capability or similar weapons systems
- Familiarity with FAA, DoW, and test range flight operations
- Experience with autonomy, navigation, mission planning, and Command-and-Control (C2) systems
- Hands-on experience with aircraft maintenance, avionics integration, payload integration, and ground support equipment
- Experience with telemetry systems, flight and data logs, sensor data, datalinks, and RF systems
- Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate or crewed aviation experience
- Proven Mission Control Room experience using Integrated Analysis & Data System (IADS) or similar development FTI display system
- Experience leading or supporting developmental flight test campaigns from design through planning and execution to include reporting
§ 06IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate is practical, detail-oriented engineer who is comfortable in control rooms, hangar/maintenance areas, and office type environments. You can write a detailed test plan, troubleshoot hardware and software at a test site, analyze flight data, and communicate clearly under operational pressure. You are safety-minded, have high technical acumen, and motivated by building and validating advanced and complex aircraft systems
#LI-JM1
#LD
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.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- How much does the Flight Test Engineer, Staff (R5006) at Shield AI pay?
- The posting lists a range of $120K–$190K per year. Ranges reflect what Shield AI publicly declared on the source posting.
- Where is this Flight Test Engineer, Staff (R5006) role based?
- The role is based in Wichita Metro Area.
- What experience does Shield AI expect for this role?
- The posting is tagged as a lead-level role, typically 7+ years of experience. Check the requirements section for specifics.
- Where is Shield AI headquartered?
- Shield AI is headquartered in San Diego, USA.
- How was this posting sourced?
- This role was pulled directly from Shield AI's Lever careers site. Apply links open in the employer's own ATS — no reposts or aggregator middleware.
[ APPLICATION ROUTE ]LEVER · External ATS
APPLY VIA LEVER→Apply links open in the employer's official ATS. Always verify recruitment messages on the company's careers page before sharing personal information.
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