Flight Ops Technician

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide.

Responsibilities

Build, modify, assemble, maintain, and repair prototype unmanned aircraft and related test systems; Install and integrate avionics, sensors, compute hardware, radios, antennas, payloads, wiring, and other experimental hardware; Fabricate prototype and replacement components using 3D printing, hand and power tools, and other rapid-prototyping methods; Build, modify, and troubleshoot wiring harnesses, connectors, electrical assemblies, and aircraft electrical systems; Build, wire, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot HIL rigs, test fixtures, and related engineering test infrastructure; Integrate flight computers, avionics, sensors, actuators, communications equipment, and other aircraft hardware into HIL and bench-test environments; Diagnose mechanical, electrical, avionics, communications, networking, and system-level issues across aircraft and test equipment; Support SIL, HIL, VIL, bench, ground, and live-flight testing, including aircraft functional checks and troubleshooting; Perform aircraft inspections, maintenance, repairs, configuration changes, and pre- and post-flight activities; Help establish and maintain a local prototyping and flight-operations lab, including tools, test equipment, fabrication equipment, spares, batteries, and support equipment; Support flight operations, including aircraft setup, launch and recovery, test-site setup and teardown, and preparation of equipment for field deployments; Maintain aircraft, test-system, maintenance, configuration, inventory, and other technical documentation; Work closely with hardware, software, autonomy, and flight-test engineers to rapidly diagnose problems, implement modifications, and improve test capabilities; Transport personnel and equipment to test sites and travel within Ukraine to support testing, demonstrations, and operations; Mentor less-experienced technicians and maintain high standards for workmanship, configuration control, organization, and safety

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on experience in UAS, aviation, aerospace, robotics, electronics, manufacturing, test support, or a related technical field; Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with experience building, modifying, maintaining, or repairing complex electromechanical systems; Experience integrating hardware into aircraft, robotics, prototypes, test systems, or comparable platforms; Hands-on electrical experience, including wiring, connectors, soldering, crimping, cable fabrication, and electrical troubleshooting; Experience building, maintaining, or troubleshooting HIL rigs, test stands, test fixtures, or similar hardware/software integration environments; Ability to read and work from mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, and engineering documentation; Experience with rapid prototyping, fabrication, and iterative hardware development; Ability to systematically troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications, and system-level problems; Experience using common mechanical and electrical tools and test equipment; Experience supporting engineering, ground, flight, or field testing; Strong attention to detail, workmanship, safety, and configuration control; Ability to work independently and solve technical problems in fast-moving workshop, laboratory, flight-line, and field environments; Valid driver's license and ability to transport equipment and personnel to operational sites; Ability to travel within Ukraine as required

Nice to have

Experience maintaining or integrating fixed-wing and multirotor UAS; Experience with autonomous or experimental aircraft and Group 1 or Group 2 UAS; Experience building or maintaining HIL environments for aircraft, robotics, or autonomous systems; Experience with 3D printing, CAD, and prototype part fabrication; Experience integrating avionics, flight computers, sensors, actuators, radios, antennas, or payload systems; Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or similar flight-control systems; Familiarity with Ground Control Stations, telemetry, RF systems, datalinks, and networking; Familiarity with Linux, command-line tools, scripting, or basic software troubleshooting; Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies, or similar electrical test equipment; Experience establishing or maintaining an engineering lab, prototype shop, HIL lab, or flight-operations facility; Background in defense, aerospace, robotics, aircraft maintenance, manufacturing, or flight test; Experience working in austere or rapidly changing field environments; Ukrainian and English language proficiency

Benefits

Comprehensive total rewards package aligned to country office location