Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AIโs technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.ย
Job Description:
As a Hardware Reliability Engineer at Shield AI, you will be responsible for ensuring the robustness and long-term performance of our VBAT flight hardware. Youโll work closely with design, manufacturing, and supplier chain to implement design-for-reliability best practices and perform reliability verification from concept through production.
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You will lead environmental and stress testing efforts, including temperature cycling, vibration, HALT, and HASS, conduct failure analysis and materials characterization, and analyze root cause investigations for manufacturing non-conformances and field returns. Youโll participate in design reviews and FMEA activities, shape material selection and manufacturing requirements, analyze test and field data using reliability modeling tools, and help develop corrective actions and process improvements that elevate hardware reliability across the program.ย
What you'll do:
- You willย be responsible forย developing and implementing design-for-reliability best practices, conducting rigorous testing,ย shaping manufacturing requirements, selecting materials,ย and analyzingย field dataย to enhance the robustness ofย VBATย hardware.ย
- Perform stress screening, environmental testing, and drive failure analysis to ensureย flightย hardware meets reliability and performance targets.ย
- Analyze designs and test results toย identifyย potential failure modes and mitigations.ย
- Collaborate with design engineers to implement design for reliability best practicesย early in design.ย
- Act as a key stakeholder in reviewing and approving designs for release.ย
- Participate in design reviews and failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) to assess potential reliability issues.ย
- Investigate manufacturing non-conformances and field hardware failures toย determineย root cause.ย
- Travelย asย needed to perform deep dives into supplier processes.ย
- Develop and recommend corrective actions to address identified reliability issues.ย
- Utilize reliability modeling and simulation tools to predictย systemย performance and lifespan.ย
- Stay current with industry trends, advancements, and best practices in hardware reliability engineering.ย
- Propose and implement process improvements to drive improvements in reliability across the program.ย
Required qualifications:
- Technicalย background inย materials science,ย electronics manufacturing processesย (PCB fabrication and assembly), hardware reliability concepts, andย environmentalย test practices.ย
- Candidate must be self-starting and come with a growth mindset, with excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.ย
- Bachelor's degree in Materials Engineeringย preferred.ย Degrees in Mechanicalย ORย Reliability Engineeringย also are acceptable.ย ย
- Familiarity with electronics (PCBs, PCBAs, electronic components) and moving mechanical assemblies.ย
- Team-playerย with clear and concise written and oral communication skills.ย
- Experience working with interdisciplinary teams to execute product design from concept to production.ย
- Experience with the project management of technical projects.ย
- Proficiencyย in Python, including NumPy, Pandas, SciPy,ย Plotly, and Matplotlib.ย
- Familiarity with relevant industry standards, including IPC, JEDEC, AIAA, AEC, MIL, and SMC standards.ย
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master's degree in Materials Engineeringย preferred. Degrees in Mechanical ORย Reliability Engineeringย also are acceptable.ย ย
- 3+ years of experience in hardware reliability engineering, preferably with a focus onย aerospace or automotiveย applications.ย
- Proficiencyย in failure analysis techniques and materials characterization methodsย
- Experience with environmental testing, including temperature cycling, vibration, highly accelerated limit testing (HALT), andย highly-acceleratedย stress screening (HASS).ย
- Familiarity with PCB fabrication, SMT, and polymerics application manufacturing processesย
- Significant knowledge of reliability engineering principles, methods, and toolsย
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Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
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Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
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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 toย equal 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.ย
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.