Senior Electrical Engineer, Test Equipment Design

About the role

Shield AI is a defense-tech company building intelligent systems such as aircraft and simulation technologies. Its Hardware Test Engineering team designs custom electrical and mechanical test solutions for the X-BAT aircraft, and this Senior Electrical Engineer owns the design and development of those test systems. The role sits in the Seattle office and focuses on power electronics, RF, communications and automation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the design, validation and deployment of advanced test systems for X-BAT's critical components and subsystems.
• Architect PCBs and test interfaces for power electronics, RF and communication systems.
• Develop automated test sequences in Python, ensuring scalability, efficiency and repeatability.
• Design and integrate custom test fixtures, including relays, PLCs, PCBAs and harnessing.
• Drive cross-functional design reviews and advocate for design-for-testability (DFT) improvements.
• Work hands-on with HASS, ESS and HALT testing to validate performance in simulated harsh environments.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the team's expertise in hardware test engineering.

Required profile

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering or a related STEM field.
• Typically at least 5 years of related experience in hardware design and test engineering, or equivalent experience with advanced degrees.
• Proven track record of owning projects from concept to execution in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
• Team-first mindset, high standards and strong problem-solving skills.

Required skills

• Deep expertise in electrical, mechanical and software engineering principles applied to hardware test systems.
• Ability to design, implement and validate multidisciplinary hardware systems.
• Preferred: Python or another scripting language for test automation.
• Preferred: PCB design tools (Altium, KiCAD, Eagle) and CAD software (SolidWorks, NX, CATIA).
• Preferred: experience in rugged, high-reliability industries such as aerospace, defense or automotive.