Senior Engineer, System Integration Test (R6086)

Shieldai; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a System Integration Test Engineer to bridge autonomy software with ACP flight hardware across Shield AI and vendor labs. You will drive integration across SIL/HIL environments, turning objectives into executable plans, and resolving interface gaps before flight testing.

You will work on deployment, testing, and troubleshooting of mission autonomy, with frequent collaboration across OEMs, platform partners, and internal engineering teams.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree or 3+ years with a Master's degree.
• Lab & Hardware Integration in SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight test environments.
• Clear ability to author test plans and translate results into action.
• Troubleshoot complex interfaces using telemetry, logs, or diagnostic tools.
• Proficient in Linux and Python for test automation and data analysis.
• Strong communication, organization, and cross-team coordination.
• Willingness to travel to vendor facilities and flight test locations.
• Active U.S. DoD SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance; U.S. citizenship.
• Experience with ACP/CCA/UAS and defense prime contractor labs.
• Familiarity with OMS, UCI, MOSA architectures.
• Middleware: DDS, ROS/ROS2, ZeroMQ, gRPC.

Responsibilities

• Integrate Mission Autonomy on ACP hardware in SIL/HIL labs.
• Develop detailed integration test plans, schedules, and criteria.
• Identify gaps and craft gap-closure plans with engineers.
• Coordinate lab execution with aircraft OEMs and vendors.
• Conduct hands-on lab triage and troubleshooting of multi-system issues.
• Drive test automation and simulation tooling across teams.
• Gate flight readiness and support flight tests; analyze post-flight data.
• Travel to test sites and events as required.

Skills

System integration

SIL & HIL

Test planning

Troubleshooting

Python scripting

Linux

Communication

Travel flexibility

Clearance knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Computer, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering

Master's degree in related field

Tools

Wireshark

DDS

ROS/ROS2

ZeroMQ

gRPC

Job description

Job Description

As a System Integration Test Engineer, you will integrate and verify Shield AI's Hivemind mission autonomy software directly on Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) flight hardware. You will serve as the hands-on technical bridge between autonomy algorithms and physical aircraft systems, working across Shield AI and aircraft platform vendors to verify system interfaces, validate edge compute performance, and resolve integration issues before flight testing.

You will drive integration across Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) environments, both in Shield AI's internal laboratories and on-site at platform vendor integration facilities (including SIL, HIL, and iron bird test benches). You will turn high-level program objectives into executable integration plans, schedules, and test cards, systematically uncovering interface gaps early and formulating technical solutions to close them. This is an essential, high-impact role for an engineer who excels at the intersection where complex mission software meets real aircraft avionics and hardware.

Responsibilities

• Integrate Mission Autonomy on ACP Hardware: Deploy, integrate, and verify Hivemind mission autonomy software with actual ACP software and hardware in ShieldAI and platform vendor SIL and HIL labs.
• Develop Test & Integration Plans: Develop detailed integration test plans, test cards, schedules, and objective success criteria across lab, ground, and flight test phases.
• Identify & Resolve Integration Gaps: Proactively identify architectural, interface, protocol, timing, and hardware/software gaps early; formulate concrete gap-closure plans, risk mitigations, and technical workarounds alongside Shield engineering and platform partners.
• Coordinate Joint Vendor Lab Execution: Partner directly with aircraft OEMs and platform vendors to coordinate lab readiness, align entry/exit criteria, deconflict bench time, and co-execute joint integration campaigns.
• Conduct Hands-On Lab Triage: Execute integration tests, configure test benches, and lead real-time troubleshooting of multi-system anomalies
• Drive Test Automation & Tooling: Coordinate across engineering teams to design and build test automation and simulation scripts to accelerate development
• Gate Flight Readiness & Support Flight Test: Enforce empirical test entry/exit criteria to gate delivery to aircraft ground and flight test; support flight test preparation, configuration validation, real-time troubleshooting, and post-flight data analysis.
• Support travel to test sites, customer events, and integration activities as required

Qualifications

• Typically requires 5+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Electrical, Computer, Mechanical, Systems Engineering, or related technical field, or 3+ years with a Master's degree.
• Lab & Hardware Integration: Demonstrated experience in system integration and test, including SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight test environments.
• Test Planning & Documentation: Proven ability to author clear, comprehensive integration test plans, procedures, and test cards, and translate test results into actionable engineering findings and gap closure roadmaps.
• Troubleshooting & Analysis: Strong experience troubleshooting complex system interfaces using telemetry, logs, packet capture tools (e.g., Wireshark), or hardware diagnostic equipment.
• Scripting & Linux: Proficiency with Linux operating systems and scripting languages (Python preferred) for test automation, data analysis, and hardware bench interfacing.
• Communication & Organization: Highly organized and methodical, with the ability to organize integration tasks, track dependencies, and coordinate work across distributed engineering teams and external partners.
• Travel Flexibility: Willingness and ability to travel periodically to platform vendor facilities and flight test locations as program needs require.
• Clearance & Citizenship: Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD SECRET security clearance; U.S. citizenship required.
• Autonomous & Uncrewed Systems: Experience with Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP), Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), UAS (Group 4/5), or military aircraft mission systems.
• OEM / Prime Contractor Experience: Experience working directly inside aircraft manufacturer or defense prime contractor integration labs (e.g., Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Anduril).
• Open Architecture Standards: Familiarity with open systems architectures such as Open Mission Systems (OMS), Universal Command and Control Interface (UCI), and Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA).
• Middleware & Frameworks: Experience with inter-process communication and messaging middleware (e.g., DDS, ROS/ROS2, ZeroMQ, gRPC).
• Safety & Airworthiness: Understanding of airworthiness processes, safety-of-flight standards, or software assurance guidelines (e.g., DO-178C, DO-254, MIL-STD-882E).
• Active Clearance: Active DoD SECRET or TOP SECRET clearance.

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. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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.