Lead Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Test - X-BAT

Shield; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Test to lead the design and development of mechanical test infrastructure for X‑BAT hardware validation. You will own the mechanical side of testing, build test stands, fixtures, and support equipment for engineering and production‑level activities, while guiding a small team in a fast‑paced environment.

The ideal candidate brings hands‑on mechanical design, fixture development, and cross‑functional coordination across test, electrical,

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related STEM field; advanced degree is a plus.
• Experience leading engineers and building high‑performing teams.
• Ability to take concepts through design, fabrication, and validation.
• Experience releasing drawings for manufacture and GD&T.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of mechanical engineers in designing, building, and maintaining X‑BAT hardware test stands and fixtures that support subsystem, integration, and qualification testing.
• Perform core people‑lead responsibilities, including work planning, technical direction, regular 1:1s, coaching, feedback, and performance development for the team.
• Own requirements gathering, concept development, detailed design, and validation of multiple test stands used to evaluate X‑BAT hardware and supporting subsystems.
• Design fixtures, tooling, structural support hardware, and mechanical systems for engineering and production‑level test applications.
• Perform mechanical analyses such as hand calculations and FEA‑informed assessments for strength, stiffness, thermal behavior, durability, and safety.

Skills

Leadership

Mechanical design

Fixture development

Team mentoring

GD&T

FEM/FEA

Mechanical testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Advanced degree

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

CATIA

ANSYS

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Test to lead the design and development of mechanical test infrastructure for X‑BAT hardware validation. You will own the mechanical side of testing, build test stands, fixtures, and support equipment for engineering and production‑level activities, while guiding a small team in a fast‑paced environment.

The ideal candidate brings hands‑on mechanical design, fixture development, and cross‑functional coordination across test, electrical,