{"id":1015204,"url":"https://alion.io/job/shield-ai-software-engineering-manager-hardware-test-x-bat-r6020","title":"Software Engineering Manager, Hardware Test (X-BAT) (R6020)","company":{"id":50,"name":"Shield AI","domain":"shield.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/shield-ai","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":73,"open_postings":90,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.856,"repost_share":0.011,"time_to_fill_p50_days":65,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Hardware","role_family":"Hardware","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Seattle, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":169000,"max":300000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":300000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"Git","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"TCP/IP","optional":false},{"name":"Linux","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-17T20:47:16Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-17","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T22:22:17Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":46,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":46},"description":"Opening from US - X-BAT with ITAR exposure, S/SAR Clearance\nShield 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. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.\nWhat You'll do:\nLead, mentor, and grow a team of software engineers supporting X-BAT avionics production test.\n\nOwn the technical roadmap and execution for automated test stands, reusable test frameworks, station software, and test-data systems.\n\nBuild scalable Python-based software for test sequencing, instrument and fixture control, unit-under-test communication, measurement collection, pass/fail evaluation, and reporting.\n\nGuide software architecture, code quality, configuration management, CI/CD, release processes, documentation, and operational support.\n\nPartner closely with electrical engineers to translate avionics interfaces, functional requirements, and failure modes into automated test coverage.\n\nPartner with mechanical engineers to ensure fixtures, cabling, connectors, serviceability, safety, and operator workflows support reliable production testing.\n\nWork with FPGA and embedded-software teams to configure, communicate with, and validate FPGA-enabled avionics hardware.\n\nImprove test coverage, station uptime, throughput, failure triage, test repeatability, and traceability.\n\nEstablish metrics and processes for regression health, station reliability, first-pass yield, retest rate, false failures, and recurring failure modes.\n\nSupport root-cause analysis across the unit under test, fixture, instrumentation, test software, embedded software, FPGA behavior, and electrical interfaces.\nRequired Qualifications:\n5+ years of experience in software engineering, test automation, embedded systems, hardware-integrated software, manufacturing test, avionics, aerospace, robotics, automotive, industrial systems, or similar fields.\n\n2+ years of direct people-management experience leading software, test, or hardware-integration engineers.\n\nDemonstrated experience building, deploying, and sustaining automated functional-test systems for complex hardware.\n\nStrong Python experience, particularly for automation frameworks, hardware communication, instrument control, data acquisition, and test orchestration.\n\nExperience with C++ or C in embedded, systems, device-control, or hardware-facing applications.\n\nExperience working directly with electrical hardware, test fixtures, instrumentation, and devices under test.\n\nFamiliarity with FPGA-enabled hardware and the ability to work effectively with FPGA engineers on system-level test and debug.\n\nFamiliarity with common interfaces and protocols such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, UDP, serial, CAN, SPI, I2C, USB, GPIO, PCIe, or JTAG.\n\nExperience with Git, code review, automated testing, CI/CD, release management, and configuration control.\n\nStrong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across software, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and program teams.\n\nPreferred Qualifications:\nExperience developing automated production test equipment for avionics, aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, robotics, or other mission-critical hardware.\n\nExperience designing reusable test frameworks rather than only writing one-off test scripts.\n\nExperience with programmable power supplies, electronic loads,, DAQ systems, digital I/O, network equipment, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or custom test fixtures.\n\nExperience with FPGA programming, bitstream management, register-level control, JTAG, board bring-up, or FPGA-adjacent debug.\n\nExperience with embedded Linux, microcontrollers, board-support packages, device drivers, or real-time systems.\n\nExperience with production traceability, serial-number tracking, test-result databases, calibration workflows, manufacturing systems, or quality systems.\n\nExperience in a regulated, safety-critical, mission-critical, or configuration-controlled engineering 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