HIL and Infrastructure Lab Technician

About the role

Shield AI is a defense-tech company developing autonomy software, aircraft and simulation technologies. It is hiring a HIL and Infrastructure Lab Technician in Washington to own the day-to-day management, readiness, organization and growth of its Hardware-in-the-Loop and engineering laboratories. This is a highly hands-on position with direct accountability for lab operations, building, maintaining, configuring and troubleshooting the systems that support software development and integration testing.

Key responsibilities

• Own daily operations and technical readiness of HIL and infrastructure labs, keeping systems, workspaces, tools, documentation and shared resources ready for engineering use.
• Build, install, configure, inspect and maintain HIL racks, test benches, compute systems, network equipment, storage, power distribution, simulation and flight hardware.
• Maintain accurate asset control for lab and program equipment, including receiving, tagging, serial-number tracking, calibration, maintenance, spares and disposition.
• Manage lab schedules, equipment reservations, maintenance windows and integration priorities with software, hardware, systems, test and program teams.
• Perform wiring and fabrication tasks such as cable assembly, crimping, soldering, continuity checks, cable routing, rack assembly and panel modification.
• Read and update wiring diagrams, electrical schematics, rack elevations, bills of material, work instructions and interface-control documentation.
• Provision and restore development and test environments, image computers, install approved software, manage configurations, collect logs and assist with automated lab workflows.
• Diagnose and resolve lab issues across power, wiring, compute, networking, software, instrumentation and mechanical interfaces.
• Manage procurement coordination, incoming inspection, shipping and receiving, vendor repairs, consumables, tool control, calibration and equipment staging.
• Enforce lab standards for safety, access, cybersecurity, export control, ESD protection, cleanliness, labeling and configuration management.
• Maintain operating procedures, build records, maintenance logs, configuration baselines, dashboards, issue trackers and work instructions.
• Support customer integration events, demonstrations and evaluations by preparing representative lab environments and reproducing field issues.

Required profile

• Typically 5+ years of hands-on experience supporting engineering laboratories, integration and test facilities, avionics, mission systems, electronics, IT infrastructure or comparable technical operations; a four-year engineering degree is not required.
• Hands-on experience in defense, aerospace, aviation, robotics, manufacturing or another mission-critical industry.
• Demonstrated experience assembling, installing, maintaining and troubleshooting electromechanical equipment, test infrastructure, computing systems, electronics or avionics hardware.
• Experience maintaining accountable assets, serialized hardware, inventory, tools, calibration, spares, shipping and receiving, maintenance history or configuration records.
• Strong planning and organizational skills, able to coordinate schedules and equipment availability across multiple teams or programs.
• Ability to read wiring diagrams, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, rack layouts, bills of material and technical manuals.
• Comfort with Windows- and Linux-based computers, installing and configuring software, collecting logs and communicating with software and hardware engineers.
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance.

Required skills

• Wiring, cable and connector work, fabrication, hand tools, digital multimeters, continuity testing and rack integration.
• Electro-mechanical troubleshooting.
• Preferred: Python, Bash, PowerShell or similar scripting; familiarity with Ethernet, managed switches, IP addressing, serial and CAN communications, time synchronization and remote access.
• Preferred: experience with CAD viewers, aircraft systems, autonomy software, embedded computing, real-time simulation, sensors, communications equipment or uncrewed vehicles.