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, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. 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.
Job Description:
As a Hardware Reliability Engineer (Engineer II) at Shield AI, you will support efforts to ensure the robustness and long-term performance of our VBAT flight hardware. You’ll work closely with design, manufacturing, and supplier teams to help implement design-for-reliability best practices and assist with reliability verification activities from concept through production.
In this role, you will contribute to environmental and stress testing efforts, support failure analysis investigations, and help analyze test and field data to identify potential reliability risks. You’ll participate in design reviews and FMEA activities, assist in root cause investigations for manufacturing and field issues, and support initiatives to improve hardware reliability across the program.
What you'll do:
Support environmental and stress testing efforts (e.g., temperature cycling, vibration, HALT/HASS) to validate hardware reliability
Assist in failure analysis and root cause investigations for manufacturing non-conformances and field returns
Analyze test results and field data to help identify potential failure modes and reliability risks
Collaborate with design engineers to incorporate design-for-reliability best practices
Participate in design reviews and FMEA activities to evaluate potential issues
Support development of corrective actions and process improvements to enhance hardware reliability
Assist in reviewing materials, manufacturing processes, and component selection for reliability considerations
Utilize data analysis tools (e.g., Python) to support reliability assessments and reporting
Work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and supplier teams
Travel occasionally to support testing or supplier engagements as needed
Required qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related field
1–3 years of experience (internships or co-ops acceptable) in hardware, materials, or reliability engineering
Foundational understanding of materials science, electronics (PCBs/PCBAs), and/or mechanical systems
Familiarity with basic reliability concepts and environmental testing methods
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
Ability to work in a team-oriented, cross-functional environment
Clear written and verbal communication skills
Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
Hands-on experience with failure analysis or lab testing (academic or industry)
Exposure to environmental testing (temperature, vibration, HALT/HASS)
Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as PCB fabrication, SMT, or mechanical assembly
Basic proficiency in Python or similar tools for data analysis
Exposure to industry standards such as IPC, JEDEC, MIL, or similar
