# Senior Staff Engineer, Test Director

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** San Diego, CA, California, Washington, DC
**Role:** QA Engineering
**Salary:** $170k – $250k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** system integration testing, flight testing, sil, hil, simulation, uas, autonomy, verification and validation, Risk Assessment, hazard analysis, configuration control, dod dt&e
**Posted:** 2026-08-05

> Leads end-to-end integration, verification, and flight-test campaigns for mission autonomy on small UAS, serving as the technical authority for readiness, execution, risk, and data-driven decisions. Requires a STEM bachelor's degree and 7+ years of system integration and test experience.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Act as Test Director for system-level integration and flight test campaigns of Hivemind Mission Autonomy on small UAS and external platforms.
- Own test readiness decisions, including entry and exit criteria for lab, simulation, ground, and flight test phases.
- Plan, direct, and execute fly–fix–fly test campaigns while maintaining 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 across 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; serve 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.
- Serve as the primary test interface to leadership, customers, and external stakeholders, 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 to drive continuous improvement.
- Support travel to test sites, customer events, and integration activities as required.

## Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline such as Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- 7+ years of experience in system integration and test, including SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight-test environments.
- Experience leading test execution with authority over test conduct, readiness, and risk decisions.
- Strong cross-functional experience with systems engineering, software, hardware, safety, and program management teams.
- Strong organizational, methodological, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to brief technical status to leadership and customers.
- Demonstrated integrity, accountability, high standards, and collaborative leadership.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Working knowledge of DoD DT&E and OT&E processes and documentation expectations.
- Direct experience with small UAS, autonomy, or robotic flight-test operations.
- Prior experience as a Test Director, Test Conductor, or Lead Flight Test Engineer.
- Experience in 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.

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