Technical Program Manager, Quality Engineering (R4219)
Shield AI
IT, Operations, Quality Assurance
San Diego, CA, USA
USD 170k-260k / year + Equity
Posted on Dec 20, 2025
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 nine 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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
As Technical Program Manager for Quality Engineering you will be responsible for ensuring the quality of Hivemind Enterprise, a software development kit that enables both Shield AI and third parties to create a new generation of unmanned systems and mission applications that deliver transformative capabilities for the U.S. and its allies. You will work with sponsors, product managers, designers and a talented cross-functional engineering team to lead on-time, on-quality software releases. This Technical Program Manager role requires a versatile individual who can plan and manage complex software test automation projects and flight test operations.
What you'll do:
- Drive the planning, execution, and delivery of complex software releases for the Hivemind Enterprise platform.
- Drive major initiatives building out rigorous simulation-based test automation for autonomy software.
- Drive large complex test operations from CI through HIL and flight test.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and customer engagement, to define test scope, objectives, and deliverables.
- Develop detailed project plans, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation, ensuring adherence to budget and schedule.
- Monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure successful project completion.
- Facilitate regular communication with stakeholders, providing updates on project status, challenges, and accomplishments.
- Drive continuous improvement in project management processes, tools, and methodologies.
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the program management team.
- Facilitate technical decision making to appropriately prioritize work and make complex trades.
- Reinforce Shield AI's reputation for technical excellence and ability to deliver through expert engagement and disciplined execution.
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Computer Science, or a related field with 8+ years of work experience in Program Management, Engineering Management or Software Test Engineering; alternative degrees are acceptable if professional experience is focused in testing Enterprise Software, Artificial Intelligence, or Robotics.
- Experience driving testing of complex software and integrated HW/SW systems.
- Experience driving software test operations for software high-reliability and high uptime
- You have a track record of driving results, not just providing status
- You have solid technical foundations in test engineering and software development, with deep knowledge of how to optimize the software development lifecycle
- You have the ability to recognize efficiency and inefficiency in projects and prioritize remedies based on accurate cost-benefit analysis.
- You are an exceptional, fundamentals-driven problem solver and communicator.
- You have a demonstrated record of setting and achieving goals in dynamic environments, working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Power user of Jira or work management tools
- Power user of TestRail, qTest or other test management frameworks
Preferred qualifications:
- Advanced degree in Computer Science or MBA
- Previous experience as a software developer or a test engineer
- Previous experience driving test operations for enterprise software, ideally for software used by software engineers
- Previous experience managing flight test operations or autonomous systems testing
- Passionate about software documentation
- Autonomy, AI, ML expertise
- PMP, Scrum Master, or similar qualifications.
- Must have worked very closely with software test engineering teams, not just managing schedules and budgets
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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 to 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.
170000 - 260000 USD a year