Senior Flight Test Director – Autonomous UAS

Shieldai; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a Senior Staff Flight Test Engineer / Test Director to lead end-to-end test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy on UAS. You will own test readiness, direct execution, and manage risk across lab, simulation, ground, and flight tests, driving data-driven decisions and disciplined configuration control.

You will coordinate with systems engineering, software, hardware, safety, and program management, setting test strategies, metrics, and standards in a fast-paced, high-stakes

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in a STEM discipline (Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field).
• 7+ years of experience in system integration and test, including SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight test environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading test execution, including authority over test conduct, readiness, and risk decisions.
• Strong background working cross-functionally with systems engineering, software, hardware, safety, and program management teams.
• Direct experience with UAS, autonomy, or robotic flight test operations.
• Prior role as Test Director, Test Conductor, or Lead Flight Test Engineer.
• Experience operating within DoD software and hardware laboratories or government flight test ranges.
• Familiarity with safety-of-flight processes, hazard analysis, and configuration control in flight test environments.

Responsibilities

• Act as Test Director for system-level integration and flight test campaigns of Hivemind Mission Autonomy on UAS and external platforms.
• Own test readiness decisions, including entry/exit criteria for lab, simulation, ground, and flight test phases.
• Plan, direct, and execute fly–fix–fly test campaigns, ensuring rapid iteration while maintaining disciplined configuration control and safety.
• Define and enforce test strategy, including system-level verification and validation, test phasing, and prioritization of objectives.
• Direct cross-functional test execution, coordinating across various engineering disciplines and test operators.
• Determine test infrastructure requirements, including SIL, HIL, simulation environments, flight test assets, and automated test pipelines.
• Approve and oversee test procedures, test cards, and execution plans, serving as the final authority during test conduct.
• Define performance metrics and success criteria, ensuring test data is actionable and traceable to requirements and mission outcomes.
• Lead flight test risk assessments, hazard analyses, and mitigation planning; enforce safety-of-flight discipline during operations.
• Serve as primary test interface to internal leadership, customers, and external stakeholders, providing clear reporting on test progress, results, and risks.
• Establish test standards, SOPs, and best practices aligned with industry and DoD DT&E/OT&E expectations.
• Document test results, anomalies, corrective actions, and lessons learned, driving continuous improvement across autonomy flight test efforts.
• Support travel to test sites, customer events, and integration activities as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

B.S. degree in a STEM discipline

Job description

Shield AI seeks a Senior Staff Flight Test Engineer / Test Director to lead end-to-end test campaigns for Hivemind Mission Autonomy on UAS. You will own test readiness, direct execution, and manage risk across lab, simulation, ground, and flight tests, driving data-driven decisions and disciplined configuration control.

You will coordinate with systems engineering, software, hardware, safety, and program management, setting test strategies, metrics, and standards in a fast-paced, high-stakes