Senior Engineer, Software Test & Evaluation (R2714)

Introduction to Shield AIFounded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown a fighter jet (F-16), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (V-BAT), and a quadcopter (Nova). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington DC and abroad. Shield AI’s products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies. 
JOB DESCRIPTION:As a Software Test And Evaluation Engineer at Shield AI, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the quality and reliability of our systems by understanding stakeholder and user requirements, running daily verification & validation tests, and collaborating on comprehensive test plans that are derived by system requirements. You will oversee the execution of test plans, assess system reliability, report and track bugs, and contribute to the successful release of our products. If you are passionate about quality assurance and ensuring that our systems meet and exceed stakeholder and user expectations, this is the role for you. 

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Interface with engineers, maintainers, technicians, and program management to accomplish test objectives safely and efficiently   
• Maintain a strong understanding of how to use JAMA, ADO  
• Report and communicate test results to the test lead  
• Participate in Test Readiness Reviews & Flight Readiness Reviews  
• Provide pertinent feedback to various department personnel on observed software performance  
• Conduct acceptance quality control system testing before flight tests  
• Consistently exhibits substantial understanding of the job and applies knowledge/skills to complete a wide range of tasks  
• Design scenario based test cases  
• Conduct multiple tests a day, as defined by the test lead  
• Support test setup, instrumentation upkeep, and test equipment tear down  
• Document and escalate test failures quickly; collaborate with test leads to perform failure analysis and ensure the product continuously improves through all stages of development  
• Work closely with developers to understand the system being tested, data requirements, and potential failure modes of each system release to ensure the earliest possible detection of issues  

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 4 years and a Master’s degree; or 2 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
• 3+ years experience in test engineering with class 3 or larger Unmanned Aircraft Systems  
• Must have a complete understanding of engineering concepts, principles, codes, and theory; experience demonstrating a broad application of those concepts; and, expansive knowledge of principles, concepts, theory, and practices in related technical specialties.  
• Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly; apply them accurately; organize, schedule, and coordinate work phases; and, determine the appropriate approach at the task level or, with assistance, at the project level to provide solutions to a range of complex problems.  
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; able to perform complex tasks in one or more engineering areas.  
• Must understand the fundamental principles of requirement based testing and the value it adds  
• You have a strong and applied understanding of computer networking, Python, Azure Devops (ADO),   
• You have an understanding of Git repositories, Docker containers, Linux, and Windows operating systems  
• You have hands-on experience managing deficiencies, limitations and restrictions in a flight test environment 
• Able to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex product development environment with multiple priorities. 
• Ability to travel  with <3 days notice for time periods of up to 7 days, as required, in support of testing activities

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree in an aeronautics or aerospace related engineering field  
• Deployed Experience with a Class 3 UAS system  
• Experience writing & following Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP)  
• Experience in the aerospace, defense, or automotive (autonomous driving) industries, working with complex systems and adhering to stringent standards and regulations. 
• Adaptability and a willingness to learn new technologies and methodologies quickly  
• Applied experience using JAMA  

Total package details:Regular employee positions: Salary within range listed above + Bonus + Benefits + Equity Temporary employee positions: Hourly