Senior Engineer, Systems Test (R5038)

The Hivemind Solutions Test Department is seeking a Senior Test Engineer (Software & Simulation Focus) to join our DC-based team. Since Shield AI's mission is to protect service members and civilians, The Hivemind Solutions Test Department makes this a reality by validating the reliability, safety, and performance of our world-class autonomy software. You’ll lead simulation-driven testing, automation, and software quality efforts for Hivemind, building and executing test frameworks that ensure our autonomy software performs reliably across simulated and real-world mission environments. Shield AI is growing quickly, and we're looking for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, embraces learning, and brings a high-ownership, mission-driven mindset. This is a chance to have a real impact—advancing autonomy that protects lives—while working with a collaborative, high-performing team.

Responsibilities

Develop automated regression, integration, and system-level tests to ensure Hivemind software quality and stability across releases; Identify, reproduce, and diagnose software issues—collaborating closely with development teams to drive fixes and improvements; Create and execute test plans and documentation for autonomy software in simulated environments, ensuring mission and safety requirements are met; Design, implement, and maintain simulation-based test frameworks to validate Hivemind autonomy behavior and performance; Build tools and utilities in Python to automate testing, data processing, and analysis workflows; Develop test harnesses and data validation tools for Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) / Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) / Vehicle-in-the-Loop (VIL) and simulation environments; Contribute to the definition of testing methodologies, metrics, and performance benchmarks for autonomy software validation; Support the scaling and reliability of simulation infrastructure used for large-scale software validation; Maintain detailed and accurate test documentation, ensuring traceability and knowledge sharing across teams; Work with developers to integrate test coverage directly into the development pipeline (CI/CD)

Requirements

Typically requires a minimum of 3-5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 2-4 years and a Master’s degree; or 2 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience; Proficiency in Python; Experience in robotics, small UAS, or related hands-on engineering projects; Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills; Passionate about intelligent aircraft systems; Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional software, hardware and mechanical engineering teams; Adaptability and a willingness to learn new technologies and methodologies quickly in a fast-paced environment; The ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET Clearance. US citizenship is required as only US citizens are eligible for a security clearance.

Nice to have

Experience testing autonomous systems, robotics software, or flight autonomy algorithms; Familiarity with C++ and software/hardware integration concepts.; Experience with HIL or VIL test environments.; Exposure to machine learning or AI-driven autonomy systems.; Background in simulation infrastructure design, distributed testing, or test data management.; Quality Assurance (QA) experience, including process definition, metrics, and validation tracking; Experience with aerospace, defense, or mission-critical software; Active SECRET clearance preferred

Benefits

Bonus; Benefits; Equity