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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
As a Hardware Reliability Engineer (Engineer II) at Shield AI, you will support efforts to ensure the robustness and long-term performance of our VBAT flight hardware. You’ll work closely with design, manufacturing, and supplier teams to help implement design-for-reliability best practices and assist with reliability verification activities from concept through production.
In this role, you will contribute to environmental and stress testing efforts, support failure analysis investigations, and help analyze test and field data to identify potential reliability risks. You’ll participate in design reviews and FMEA activities, assist in root cause investigations for manufacturing and field issues, and support initiatives to improve hardware reliability across the program.
What you'll do:
Support environmental and stress testing efforts (e.g., temperature cycling, vibration, HALT/HASS) to validate hardware reliabilityAssist in failure analysis and root cause investigations for manufacturing non-conformances and field returnsAnalyze test results and field data to help identify potential failure modes and reliability risksCollaborate with design engineers to incorporate design-for-reliability best practicesParticipate in design reviews and FMEA activities to evaluate potential issuesSupport development of corrective actions and process improvements to enhance hardware reliabilityAssist in reviewing materials, manufacturing processes, and component selection for reliability considerationsUtilize data analysis tools (e.g., Python) to support reliability assessments and reportingWork cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and supplier teamsTravel occasionally to support testing or supplier engagements as neededRequired qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related field1–3 years of experience (internships or co-ops acceptable) in hardware, materials, or reliability engineeringFoundational understanding of materials science, electronics (PCBs/PCBAs), and/or mechanical systemsFamiliarity with basic reliability concepts and environmental testing methodsStrong problem-solving skills and attention to detailAbility to work in a team-oriented, cross-functional environmentClear written and verbal communication skillsPreferred qualifications:
Hands-on experience with failure analysis or lab testing (academic or industry)Exposure to environmental testing (temperature, vibration, HALT/HASS)Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as PCB fabrication, SMT, or mechanical assemblyBasic proficiency in Python or similar tools for data analysisExposure to industry standards such as IPC, JEDEC, MIL, or similar