Principal Flight Test Engineer, Next Gen Aircraft (R4004)
Shield AI
What you'll do:
- Serve as Pilot in Command (PIC) our next gen unmanned flight operations, ensuring strict adherence to safety and procedural standards
- Lead end-to-end test campaigns - from planning and readiness reviews through mission execution, post-flight data analysis, and reporting
- Design, document, and refine control-room infrastructure and flight-operations procedures to enhance mission efficiency and situational awareness.
- Support control-room operations, including console procedures, comms discipline, and coordination across flight, telemetry, and safety teams.
- Develop and maintain test plans, test cards, hazard analyses, and data-collection templates in coordination with engineering and test safety
- Conduct real-time telemetry monitoring, anomaly identification, and flight-data validation
- Perform post-flight analysis and debriefs, delivering concise, actionable findings to engineering, autonomy, and systems teams
- Serve as test conductor during all mission events, managing test execution, crew communications, and dynamic re-tasking under time-critical conditions
- Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in test process, instrumentation, telemetry systems, and data architecture.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering (or equivalent technical experience)
- 7+ years of experience in flight test or system test of advanced unmanned or manned aircraft systems
- Experience with experimental fighter or Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) flight test programs or equivalent complex system integration
- Demonstrated experience in control-room design, development, and operations, including test conduct, comms discipline, and real-time telemetry integration
- Hands-on experience with flight-test instrumentation, telemetry configuration, and data-acquisition systems
- Test and engineering experience in aerodynamics/performance, loads and dynamics, propulsion, or electrical systems
- Proven ability to generate and execute flight-operations procedures, and develop mission scripts and test cards
- Familiarity with flight-test risk management, pre-flight briefings, and structured post-flight debriefs
- Strong analytical skills and proficiency with MATLAB, Python, or similar tools for post-flight analysis
- Working knowledge of military standards (e.g., MIL-STD-882E, MIL-STD-516C) and U.S. airspace regulations governing UAS operations
- Excellent technical writing and communication skills across engineering, operations, and leadership audiences
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (or ability to obtain)
Preferred qualifications:
- Pilot certification (Private, Commercial, or higher) or prior military flight qualification
- Experience with large UAS development
- Background in DoD developmental or operational flight test (DT/OT, E-/T-designated)
- Familiarity with DO-178C, MIL-STD-810, or airworthiness qualification standards
- Experience as Airworthiness or Test Safety Officer