Flight Test Engineer, XBAT; R4004

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture‑backed deep‑tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V‑BAT and X‑BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia‑Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

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Shield AI is redefining autonomous aviation with cutting‑edge AI and GPS/RF‑denied navigation technologies. We are building X‑BAT, a next‑generation autonomous VTOL jet aircraft, and we are seeking an experienced Test Director to lead all flight test execution and personnel at the test site.

As Test Director, you are the senior authority for on‑site flight test operations, combining deep technical flight test expertise with direct people leadership and operational accountability. You will serve as Pilot in Command (PIC) for unmanned operations while also acting as the test‑site leader for all flight test personnel, ensuring safe, disciplined, and efficient execution of complex developmental test campaigns.

This role operates at the intersection of engineering, flight operations, and leadership. You will own test conduct, crew coordination, control‑room operations, and real‑time decision‑making while building and sustaining a high‑performing test team in a fast‑paced experimental environment.

• Serve as the senior on‑site leader for all flight test personnel, including flight test engineers, operators, technicians, instrumentation, and support staff.
• Provide direct leadership, tasking, and prioritization for the test team during daily operations and test campaigns.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations for test personnel to ensure disciplined execution and crew accountability.
• Foster a strong safety culture, professional standards, and effective crew coordination across all test activities.
• Serve as Pilot in Command (PIC) for next‑generation unmanned flight operations, ensuring strict adherence to safety, regulatory, and procedural standards.
• Lead end‑to‑end flight test campaigns from planning and readiness reviews through execution, post‑flight analysis, and reporting.
• Act as Test Conductor during all mission events, directing test execution, managing crew communications, and making time‑critical operational decisions.
• Design, document, and refine control‑room infrastructure, console layouts, and flight operations procedures to improve situational awareness and execution efficiency.
• Oversee control‑room operations including comms discipline, telemetry coordination, safety monitoring, and real‑time decision‑making.
• Develop, review, and approve test plans, test cards, hazard analyses, and data‑collection strategies in coordination with engineering and test safety teams.
• Conduct real‑time telemetry monitoring, anomaly detection, and flight data validation during mission execution.
• Lead structured post‑flight debriefs and deliver concise, actionable findings to engineering, autonomy, propulsion, and systems teams.
• Support continuous improvement of test processes, instrumentation, telemetry systems, and data architecture to increase test velocity and quality.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
• 7+ years of experience in flight test or advanced system testing for unmanned or manned aircraft.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex flight test missions with real‑time operational authority.
• Prior experience serving as Test Conductor, PIC, or equivalent flight test leadership role.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams in high‑tempo, safety‑critical environments.
• Strong background in control‑room design, test conduct, comms discipline, and real‑time telemetry integration.
• Hands‑on experience with flight test instrumentation, telemetry systems, and data acquisition architectures.
• Experience in at least one major test discipline (aerodynamics/performance,…