{"id":1190593,"url":"https://alion.io/job/shield-ai-staff-engineer-flight-test-r6064","title":"Staff Engineer, Flight Test (R6064)","company":{"id":50,"name":"Shield AI","domain":"shield.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/shield-ai","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":51,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.804,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":90,"computed_at":"2026-09-24T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Backend","role_family":"Backend","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Washington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":140000,"max":210000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":210000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Azure","optional":true},{"name":"Azure DevOps","optional":true},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":true},{"name":"Git","optional":true},{"name":"Jira","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-24T16:30:54Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-24","last_verified_at":"2026-09-24T20:19:34Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Job Description:\nAs a Hivemind Solutions Staff Integration & Flight Test Engineer (ACP Programs), you will serve as a key contributor for the integration, verification, and flight test of Hivemind AI Pilot capabilities on Group 5 UAS/Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP).\nYou will translate program objectives into executable integration and flight test plans across multiple test environments. Using disciplined test, analysis, and feedback methodologies, you will drive rapid capability maturation while maintaining rigorous safety, configuration control, and mission assurance standards.\nThis role serves as the technical contributor for integration and flight test execution on assigned ACP programs, responsible for coordinating test readiness, managing technical and safety risk, and leading day-to-day test execution. Here, you will serve as the primary focal point to facilitate coordination across internal program leadership and functional teams, OEM partners, and government customers and stakeholders to deliver high-impact autonomy capabilities at scale. Successful candidates are curious engineers who use disciplined integration and flight test to generate knowledge, reduce technical risk, and accelerate delivery of operational capability.\nWhat you'll do:\nDevelop and execute detailed integration and flight test plans that support the overall program verification and test strategy across simulation, SIL, HIL, ground, and flight test environments \nCoordinate readiness of simulation environments, integration laboratories, aircraft, and flight test assets required to execute program objectives \nApply aviation knowledge, aircraft performance and operational mission understanding to develop safe, efficient, and operationally relevant integration and flight test plans \nDefine test objectives, performance metrics, and success criteria, ensuring traceability from requirements to test outcomes and operational capability \nLead and support aircraft integration and flight test activities, including system configuration, software integration, mission planning, real-time troubleshooting, flight execution support, and post-flight data analysis \nCoordinate with platform OEMs, government ranges, and flight operations personnel to establish test readiness criteria and ensure technical and safety requirements are satisfied prior to test execution \nCoordinate cross-functional execution across software, hardware, systems engineering, flight operations, safety, and program leadership teams \nEvaluate test results, identify technical issues, and recommend corrective actions to improve system performance and accelerate capability maturation \nRequired qualifications:\nTypically requires 8+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or 6+ years with a Master’s \nDemonstrated experience planning, conducting, and evaluating flight test of aircraft systems in military or defense aviation environments \nStrong understanding of safety-of-flight principles, risk management, and disciplined test execution in aviation environments \nDemonstrated understanding of aircraft performance, flight operations, and environmental effects influencing aircraft mission planning, test execution, and safety \nExperience with system-level verification & validation across multiple test environments (SIL, HIL, simulation, and flight) \nExperience working cross-functionally across software, hardware, avionics, systems engineering, safety, and program teams \nExperience with scripting or software tools (Python preferred) for test automation, data analysis, or system validation \nAbility to effectively communicate with pilots, operators, and engineers to develop executable flight test objectives, mission plans, and risk mitigations \nExcellent technical leadership and communication skills, including briefing to program leadership and external customers \nAbility to obtain and maintain a SECRET clearance; U.S. citizenship required \nPreferred qualifications:\nMilitary aviation experience as aircrew, flight test engineer, mission systems operator, or engineer supporting military aircraft development or test programs \nPrior role as Flight Test Director, Test Conductor, or Lead Flight Test Engineer on full-scale aircraft programs \nUnderstanding of military air operations, mission planning, and Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) supporting autonomous aircraft employment \nExperience supporting Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP), loyal wingman concepts, or multi-vehicle autonomous systems \nFamiliarity with DoD acquisition and developmental test processes \nExperience operating in or supporting government flight test ranges and operational environments \nBackground in autonomy, AI/ML-enabled systems, or human-machine teaming in aviation contexts \nExperience with airworthiness processes, flight clearance, and configuration control for aircraft systems \nFamiliarity with tools such as Git, Jira/Azure DevOps, and CI/CD pipelines \nActive SECRET clearance","description_format":"text","description_chars":4971,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Military Drones","Defense Manufacturing","Defense AI","Drone AI"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-24T16:33:51Z"}],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":90,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-09-24T22:30:22Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":210000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/shield-ai-staff-engineer-flight-test-r6064","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/shield-ai-staff-engineer-flight-test-r6064.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-24T22:30:22Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":717,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":4283,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-09-25T00:00:00Z"}}}