Senior Environmental Test Technician (R6211)

Shield; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 73,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Temporary benefits package

Job summary

Shield AI seeks an Environmental Test Technician to lead environmental testing of electronic flight hardware across VBAT and XBAT platforms. You will design test plans, instrument hardware, and run multiple campaigns ensuring data quality and reliability through thermal, vibration, and humidity testing.

Responsibilities include operating a world-class lab, developing procedures, and reporting results to stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of environmental testing experience including HALT/HASS
• Knowledge of data acquisition equipment and instrumentation
• Familiarity with electronics, PCBs, and moving mechanical assemblies
• Experience with IPC, JEDEC, MIL, ASTM standards
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills
• Team-oriented with cross-disciplinary collaboration
• Experience leading or managing technical projects

Responsibilities

• Operate and continuously improve an environmental test lab for electronics
• Develop and implement lab procedures for equipment use and data acquisition
• Perform reliability tests including thermal cycling and vibration/shock
• Define test plans, automate data acquisition, and document results
• Manage lab procurement and maintenance of consumables
• Maintain safety and organization of all lab equipment
• Coordinate with external laboratories for additional testing
• Educate stakeholders on test best-practices
• Stay current with industry trends and testing standards

Skills

Environmental testing

Data acquisition

Thermocouples

Accelerometers

Humidity sensors

Strain gauges

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Reliability Engineering

Tools

CAD modelling (SpaceClaim/NX/SolidWorks)

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-BATaircraft, 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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

As a Environmental Test Technician at Shield AI, you'll prepare, execute, and manage environmental tests on electronic flight hardware across the VBAT and XBAT aircraft, ensuring it meets performance requirements through rigorous thermal, vibration, shock, humidity, and altitude testing. This is a highly hands-on role. Working with design and reliability stakeholders, you'll help define test plans — stress profiles, setup, and instrumentation — then bring them to the bench: designing and modeling test fixtures in CAD, instrumenting hardware with thermocouples, accelerometers, strain gauges, and humidity sensors, configuring data acquisition, and programming and loading chambers. You'll frequently run several campaigns at once, owning the equipment scheduling needed to keep them moving without compromising data quality.

Once tests are running, you'll operate the equipment, monitor for and investigate failures, and reduce and document results in clear reports — including the plots and visualizations stakeholders rely on to make disposition and qualification decisions. You'll work with cutting-edge deep-tech hardware, collaborate across disciplines, and directly influence product quality and long-term reliability over the vehicles’ lifecycles.

What you'll do:

• Operate and continuously improve a world-class environmental test lab for electronics that includes HALT/HASS chambers, thermal-humidity chambers, vibration/shock equipment, and data acquisition equipment.
• Develop and implement lab procedures for use of environmental test equipment, test setup and tear down, data acquision, and test reporting.
• Perform reliability tests on electronic products, including thermal cycling, temperature-humidity soaks, HALT, HASS, vibration, and shock testing.
• Develop lab best-practices, including automation of data acquisition, defining test plans, documenting test results, and management of tests.
• Manage procurement and maintenance of lab consumables, including instrumentation, adhesives, fasteners, and fixtures.
• Oversee the maintenance, organization, and safety of all laboratory equipment and work areas.
• Work with external laboratories to perform environmental tests as necessary.
• Educate stakeholders on environmental test best-practices to improve test plans and design-for-test practices.
• Stay current with industry trends, advancements, and best practices in all aspects of environmental testing and equipment.

Required qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience with environmental testing, including temperature cycling, vibration, highly accelerated limit testing (HALT), and highly-accelerated stress screening (HASS).
• Candidate must be self-starting and come with a growth mindset, with excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledgeable in data acquisition equipment and instrumentation, including thermocouples, accelerometers, humidity sensors, and strain gauges.
• Familiarity with electronics (PCBs, PCBAs, electronic components) and moving mechanical assemblies. Knowledgeable in failure mechanisms including solder fatigue, intermetallic growth, conductive anodic filaments, tin whiskers, electromigration, and corrosion.
• Team-player with clear and concise written and oral communication skills.
• Experience working with interdisciplinary teams to execute product design from concept to production.
• Experience with management of technical projects.
• Familiarity with relevant industry test standards, including IPC, JEDEC, MIL, and ASTM standards.

Preferred qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in a reliability testing role, including temperature cycling, vibration, highly accelerated limit testing (HALT), and highly-accelerated stress screening (HASS).
• Familiarity with reliability concepts, including Weibull statistics, accelerated life test design, highly-accelerated limit testing (HALT), and highly-accelerated stress screening (HASS).
• Proficiency in CAD modelling software, including ANSYS SpaceClaim, NX, or Solidworks.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or Reliability Engineering.
• Prior experience managing an environmental test lab.
• Proficiency in Python, including NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, Plotly, and Matplotlib.

$35 - $53 an hour

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.

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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.