Hardware Reliability Lab Engineer II (R5142)

Shield; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Hardware Reliability Engineer (Engineer II) to ensure robustness and long-term performance of VBAT flight hardware. You will collaborate with design, manufacturing, and supplier teams to implement reliability best practices and support verification from concept through production.

You will participate in environmental testing, failure analysis, and root-cause investigations, driving corrective actions and reliability improvements across the program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or 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.

Responsibilities

• Support environmental and stress testing efforts 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 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.
• Review 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.

Skills

Python

Teamwork

Problem-solving

Clear communication

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials/Mechanical/Reliability Engineering

Job description

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 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 field1–3 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

Salary and benefits

• Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
• Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed toequal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.