Lead Flight Test Engineer - Autonomous VTOL Aircraft

Shield AI; New York (NY); On-site; USD 144,000 - 262,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a highly experienced Flight Test Engineer to lead ground and flight test planning for X-BAT, an autonomous VTOL jet aircraft. The role shapes flight test strategy and provides technical leadership across the program.

You will collaborate with engineering, autonomy, avionics, instrumentation, safety, and flight operations to define objectives, assess risk, execute tests, and analyze data to validate performance and advance the flight test program.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM Degree).
• 5-10 years of developmental/operational flight test experience on aircraft systems.
• Strong understanding of aircraft systems, flight dynamics, avionics, telemetry or control systems.
• Proven ability to write and execute structured test plans, procedures and reports.
• Strong troubleshooting skills in field or lab environments.
• Excellent communication across engineering and operations teams.
• Willingness to travel up to 80% (Wichita-area travel if based outside).
• Overtime and weekend coverage as required.
• Active Secret Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead ground and flight test campaigns for X-BAT, including planning, execution, post-test analysis, and envelope expansion.
• Define test objectives, points, build-up approaches, success criteria, and instrumentation.
• Develop/test plans, procedures, flight test cards, hazard analyses, risk assessments, and safety documentation.
• Coordinate pre-flight, flight, and post-flight activities including configuration, briefings, telemetry monitoring, and go/no-go decisions.
• Provide leadership during hover, transition, and forward-flight testing with integrated evaluations of systems.
• Serve as test SME during TRRs, THAs, and ORM assessments.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Autonomy, Avionics, and Flight Ops on system integration and data links.
• Define data acquisition and telemetry requirements with Instrumentation to ensure data quality.
• Analyze test data to assess performance, validate requirements, and guide corrective actions.
• Maintain operating limitations and coordinate with maintenance for test readiness.
• Document results, anomalies, lessons learned, and improve flight test processes and tools.
• Support test range coordination and field deployments as needed.

Skills

Flight test planning

Ground & flight test campaigns

Systems integration

Telemetry & data analysis

Risk assessment & safety documentation

Team leadership & cross-functional

Travel up to 80%

Active Secret Clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Tools

IADS (Integrated Analysis & Data System)

Job description

Shield AI seeks a highly experienced Flight Test Engineer to lead ground and flight test planning for X-BAT, an autonomous VTOL jet aircraft. The role shapes flight test strategy and provides technical leadership across the program.

You will collaborate with engineering, autonomy, avionics, instrumentation, safety, and flight operations to define objectives, assess risk, execute tests, and analyze data to validate performance and advance the flight test program.