Full-Time

Flight Test Engineer

VBAT Hivemind

Posted on 2/9/2026

Shield AI

Shield AI

1,001-5,000 employees

Develops AI-powered autonomous defense drone systems

Compensation Overview

$115k - $180k/yr

+ Bonus + Equity

Dallas, TX, USA

In Person

Category
QA & Testing (1)
Requirements
  • B.S. degree in a STEM discipline such as Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering; technology-related degree plans also acceptable, e.g., Electrical Engineering, Aeronautics or Information Technology; degrees with Manufacturing Testing competency will be considered
  • 5+ years of experience in test engineering practices and principals, including developing test plans, test procedures, and test reporting
  • Experience with cross-functional support with Systems Engineering and design engineering functions
  • You are organized and methodical
  • You are a strong communicator, both written and verbally
  • You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others
Responsibilities
  • Lead the planning, execution, and analysis of ground and flight tests for V-Bat unmanned system
  • Conduct flight tests, rigorously assessing system capabilities and performance
  • Engage hands-on during flight test operations, ensuring precise execution and data collection
  • Drive hardware and software modifications based on thorough analysis and feedback obtained from testing outcomes
  • Lead flight readiness reviews, pre-flight briefs, debriefs, etc. in a test conductor capacity
  • Document test procedures, results, and lessons learned to contribute to the continuous improvement of flight test processes
  • Conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies to ensure the safety of flight test operations
  • Other duties as assigned
  • Establish and lead program/configuration level test strategies throughout development lifecycle to include: Development of program test milestones and associated artifact delivery
  • Planning and coordination of ground and flight test plans
  • Definition and management of test infrastructure to include configuration of aircraft and ground control segment hardware, software, subsystems and test asset utilization
  • Establish best engineering practices, common operating procedures
  • Participate in or lead post-test debriefing in test conductor capacity
  • Lead root cause analysis investigations, perform out-of-cycle tests to support debug or special developer validation requests without pre-defined documentation
  • Support system-level qualification testing to include: Functional Acceptance Test procedure development and execution
  • Develop, maintain, and execute system-level engineering test procedures and troubleshooting on hardware and software-in-the-loop validation platforms
  • Configure/operate industry standard test and measurement equipment for debug and data collection
  • Provide supporting artifacts required for safety and flight readiness reviews, requirements verification efforts
Desired Qualifications
  • Proficiency in MATLAB
  • Experience building or prototyping small aircraft or RC components
  • Previous UAV operations and/or maintenance
  • Previous environmental test experience, familiarity with MIL-810

Shield AI builds AI-powered autonomous systems for defense, focusing on drones and related technologies that can operate without GPS or communications. Its products include autonomous drones and AI software that can sense, plan, and act in complex environments to support military operations while keeping people safe. The company differentiates itself through defense-grade autonomy capabilities, the ability to operate in GPS-denied areas, and a strategic footprint that includes acquisitions (e.g., Martin UAV) and prime roles on large government contracts like the EWAAC program. Its goal is to improve safety and mission effectiveness for defense users by delivering reliable, scalable autonomous systems under government contracts and partnerships.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Late Stage VC

Total Funding

$3.3B

Headquarters

San Diego, California

Founded

2015

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • CCA program deployment 2027–2028 unlocks $50B+ autonomous fighter market opportunity.
  • Hivemind Foundation Model trained on classified JSE data accelerates competitive moat.
  • V-BAT and Nova platforms generating steady revenue from U.S. and allied operations.

What critics are saying

  • Aechelon integration failure delays Hivemind 12–24 months, ceding market to Palantir.
  • F-16 airworthiness certification delays push CCA deployment beyond 2028 window.
  • CFIUS blocks Aechelon acquisition, forcing 18–24 month in-house simulation rebuild.

What makes Shield AI unique

  • Hivemind is only combat-deployed AI pilot since 2018 across multiple platforms.
  • Aechelon acquisition integrates high-fidelity simulation with autonomy software in-house.
  • Selected as mission autonomy provider for U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

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Your Connections

People at Shield AI who can refer or advise you

Benefits

Medical Insurance Coverage

Long Term Disability Insurance

Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA

Employee Assistance Program

Subsidized Gym Membership

Pet Insurance

Competitive Compensation

Retirement Services

Life Insurance

Parental Leave

Bereavement Support

Flexible Work Hours

PTO

Paid Holidays

Commuter Benefits

Relaxed Dress Code

Yearly Swag Items

Unlimited Snacks

Bottomless Beverages

Annual Celebrations

Work From Home Benefits

Standing Desks and Widescreen Monitors

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-2%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

-2%
Halldale Group
Apr 8th, 2026
$1.5B raise backs AI autonomy and simulation acquisition.

$1.5B raise backs AI autonomy and simulation acquisition. 8 April 2026 Shield AI has announced $1.5 billion in Series G funding, part of which will go towards acquiring Aechelon Technology Inc, a defence software company that specialises in high-fidelity simulation, physics-based sensors and synthetic reality. Aechelon's technology creates the virtual environments used by the U.S. military and allies to train aircrew and test aircraft and autonomous systems before live flight, including support for the Pentagon's Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). Shield AI develops Hivemind, an AI autonomy software that operates military vehicles including F-16s, jet-powered UAVs and helicopters. By acquiring Aechelon, Shield AI brings simulation capability in-house to train and refine Hivemind more effectively. "The acquisition of Aechelon will accelerate the work we are doing with Hivemind, particularly in simulation like the Department of War's JSE," said Shield AI CEO Gary Steele. "It will also help advance our Hivemind Foundation Model for Defense, which is trained in simulation and continuously refined through real-world operations." Hivemind was recently selected by the U.S. Air Force as a mission autonomy provider for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The $1.5 billion Series G values Shield AI at $12.7 billion and is led by Advent International, co-led by JPMorganChase's Security and Resiliency Initiative, with participation from Snowpoint Ventures, InnovationX and Riot Ventures. Funds managed by Blackstone are separately providing $500 million in preferred equity financing, plus a $250 million delayed draw facility. The Aechelon acquisition is expected to close following regulatory approvals. FREE NEWSLETTERS The world's leading authority of safety training news! Civil Aviation Training - Military Simulation & Training - Safety Critical Training

Defense Daily
Mar 26th, 2026
Shield AI raises $2 billion; acquiring software simulation company Aechelon to strengthen AI pilot.

Shield AI raises $2 billion; acquiring software simulation company Aechelon to strengthen AI pilot. Thursday, March 26th, 2026 Shield AI on Thursday said it has raised $2 billion in new funding, including a $1.5 billion Series G round to buy defense software firm Aechelon and continue development of Shield AI's new jet fighter drone. The Series G round was co-led by the global private equity firm Advent International and the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase. Blackstone is also investing $500 million of preferred equity financing, bringing Shield AI's total raise to $2 billion. X-BAT is Shield AI's vertical... Not a subscriber or registered user yet? Please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.

Alternatives Watch
Mar 26th, 2026
Shield AI draws $2bn in funding as PE sharpens its focus on defensetech.

Shield AI draws $2bn in funding as PE sharpens its focus on defensetech. Private equity firms are deepening their bets on the defense technology sector, with a cluster of deals this week underscoring the sector's pull on institutional capital. Advent International has committed up to $1 billion to invest in defense technology companies, starting with a co-lead role in Shield AI's $1.5 billion Series G funding round. Separately, [...] Get the whole story. AW Monthly $39 / Month - Instantly unlock all new and archived articles - Access to AW Research articles & data - Daily, weekly and monthly e-mail newsletters $390 / Year - Everything in Monthly at a 20% discount - Access to AW Research data downloads and annual Manager/Investor Compendiums - Discounts on advertisement rates

Dealroom.co
Mar 26th, 2026
Shield AI company information, funding & investors

Shield AI, builds self-driving technology that enables swarms of unmanned systems to operate on the edge without gps, communications, or remote pilots. Here you'll find information about their funding, investors and team.

Shield AI
Mar 26th, 2026
Shield AI to acquire software simulation company Aechelon and raise $2B at $12.7B valuation

SAN DIEGO – March 26, 2026 – Shield AI today announced it is raising $1.5 billion in Series G funding at a $12.7 billion post-money valuation and $500 million in fixed-return preferred equity financing. The Series G is led by Advent International and co-led by the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase’s Security and Resiliency Initiative, […]

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