About Shield AI
Shield AI develops AI-powered autonomy software and aircraft systems that protect service members and civilians by enabling intelligent operations in contested environments. As part of the X-BAT program, you will help develop and validate next-generation autonomous aircraft and mission-critical hardware that must perform reliably in demanding operational conditions.
Job Description:
Shield AI is seeking a Software Engineering Manager to lead the X-BAT Hardware Test Software team. This team builds and sustains automated production test stands used to functionally test avionics and aircraft electrical assemblies.
You will lead software engineers developing test frameworks, station-control software, equipment interfaces, data collection, and automated pass/fail evaluation. Our systems interact with custom fixtures, instrumentation, embedded devices, FPGA-enabled hardware, and avionics units under test.
The ideal candidate has managed engineering teams and has personally built or led the development of automated hardware test systems used in production, manufacturing, qualification, or other high-consequence environments. You know what robust test automation looks like: safe operation, repeatable results, useful diagnostics, configuration control, traceability, maintainability, and a practical path from prototype to sustained production use.
What You'll do:
Lead, mentor, and grow a team of software engineers supporting X-BAT avionics production test.
Own the technical roadmap and execution for automated test stands, reusable test frameworks, station software, and test-data systems.
Build scalable Python-based software for test sequencing, instrument and fixture control, unit-under-test communication, measurement collection, pass/fail evaluation, and reporting.
Guide software architecture, code quality, configuration management, CI/CD, release processes, documentation, and operational support.
Partner closely with electrical engineers to translate avionics interfaces, functional requirements, and failure modes into automated test coverage.
Partner with mechanical engineers to ensure fixtures, cabling, connectors, serviceability, safety, and operator workflows support reliable production testing.
Work with FPGA and embedded-software teams to configure, communicate with, and validate FPGA-enabled avionics hardware.
Improve test coverage, station uptime, throughput, failure triage, test repeatability, and traceability.
Establish metrics and processes for regression health, station reliability, first-pass yield, retest rate, false failures, and recurring failure modes.
Support root-cause analysis across the unit under test, fixture, instrumentation, test software, embedded software, FPGA behavior, and electrical interfaces.
Required Qualifications:
