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:
Join a high-impact quality engineering team supporting next-generation autonomous systems deployed in demanding operational environments. This role works closely with engineering, manufacturing, test, and field operations teams to identify product quality issues, drive root cause investigations, and improve system reliability across the product lifecycle. You will serve as a key link between field performance and engineering execution by translating operational issues into measurable product improvements.
We are seeking a Field Quality Engineer with experience supporting complex hardware systems in aerospace, defense, robotics, or related industries, including failure analysis, corrective actions, reliability tracking, and cross-functional problem solving.
What you'll do:
Investigate field-reported issues and drive root cause analysis across hardware, software, and integrated systems
Partner with engineering, manufacturing, and test teams to implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
Analyze reliability and performance trends to identify systemic quality issues and improve product robustness
Support validation, troubleshooting, and failure reproduction efforts for fielded systems
Develop quality metrics, reporting, and tracking tools to improve visibility into field performance and defect trends
Coordinate issue resolution across cross-functional teams while ensuring timely communication and closure
Required qualifications:
5+ years of experience in quality engineering, field engineering, systems integration, manufacturing quality, or related technical roles
Strong experience with root cause analysis, failure investigation, and corrective action implementation in complex hardware environments
Ability to diagnose system-level issues across mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces
Experience analyzing reliability data, defect trends, and operational performance metrics
Strong communication and organizational skills with the ability to coordinate across engineering and operations teams
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced development and operational environments
Preferred qualifications:
Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, or autonomous systems programs
Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, or regulated engineering environments
Experience with environmental testing, system validation, or field operations support
Experience using data analysis and reporting tools such as Python, SQL, Jira, Power BI, or Tableau
