Lead Mechanical Test Engineer — Aerospace Fixtures & Stands

Shieldai; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Test to lead the design and development of mechanical test infrastructure for rapid, rigorous validation of X-BAT hardware. You will own the mechanical side of testing, building test stands, fixtures, and support equipment for engineering and production‑level activities.

The ideal candidate will be a technical leader who can manage a small team, establish engineering processes, and drive execution in a fast‑paced hardware environment.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related STEM; advanced degree a plus.
• Experience leading engineers and building high‑performing teams in aerospace/defense/robotics.
• Hands‑on fabrication support and fixture design for test hardware.
• Proficiency with CAD tools and releasing drawings for manufacture.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of mechanical engineers to design, build, and maintain X-BAT hardware test stands and fixtures.
• Own people leadership tasks: work planning, technical direction, 1:1s, coaching, performance development.
• Own requirements gathering, concept development, detailed design, and validation of test stands for X-BAT hardware and subsystems.
• Design fixtures, tooling, and support hardware for engineering and production‑level test applications.
• Perform mechanical analyses (hand calcs, FEA) for strength, stiffness, thermal behavior, durability, and safety.
• Apply GD&T, tolerance analysis, DFM/DFA, design reviews, release docs, and configuration discipline.
• Collaborate with test, electrical, avionics, manufacturing, and technicians to integrate test hardware.
• Support fabrication by coordinating with shops and vendors to release, procure, assemble, and iterate hardware.
• Lead root‑cause investigations and implement corrective design improvements.
• Build team processes and documentation to improve quality, speed, and ownership.

Skills

Mechanical design

Leadership

Test engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Root-cause analysis

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

CATIA

ANSYS

Abaqus

Nastran

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Lead Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Test to lead the design and development of mechanical test infrastructure for rapid, rigorous validation of X-BAT hardware. You will own the mechanical side of testing, building test stands, fixtures, and support equipment for engineering and production‑level activities.

The ideal candidate will be a technical leader who can manage a small team, establish engineering processes, and drive execution in a fast‑paced hardware environment.