Hiring: Director, Test Engineering - ACP Programs (R5044) Company: Shield AI Location: Washington, DC Job Posted Time: 2026-09-10 10:33:14 Employment Type: Full-time Target Skills & Keywords : AI, Azure DevOps, CI/CD, Git, Jira, Python About the job Experience: •Typically requires 15+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 14+ years with a Master’s; or 12+ years with a PhD; or equivalent experience •15+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 14+ years with a Master’s; or 12+ years with a PhD; or equivalent experience Required Skills: •As a Hivemind Solutions Flight Test Director (ACP Programs), you will serve as the end-to-end technical leader responsible for the integration, verification, and operational test of Hivemind AI Pilot capabilities on portfolio of group 5 UAS/Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP). •Act as Test Director and technical lead for integration and flight test of Hivemind autonomy on group 5 ACP systems, including multi-aircraft coordination scenarios in LVC and empirical flight test scenarios. •Own test strategy and execution across the full development lifecycle, including system-level verification & validation, test phasing, and prioritization across SIL, HIL, simulation, ground, and flight test environments •Plan and execute large-scale flight test campaigns, including complex mission scenarios involving cooperative autonomy, human-machine teaming, and distributed systems •Serve as the final authority during mission autonomy test operations, directing test conduct and approving test plans, procedures, and execution flow •Coordinate cross-functional execution across software, hardware, systems engineering, flight operations, safety, and program leadership teams •Define mission-level performance metrics and success criteria, ensuring traceability from requirements to test outcomes and operational effectiveness •Own test infrastructure strategy, including large-scale simulation environments, SIL/HIL systems, aircraft integration labs, and flight test assets Qualifications: •Demonstrated experience leading flight test or large-scale system integration efforts, including authority over test readiness, execution, and risk decisions •Strong background in full-scale aviation test environments, including aircraft integration, ground test, and flight operations •Proven ability to plan and execute complex, multi-phase flight test campaigns involving multiple stakeholders and dependencies •In-depth knowledge of safety-of-flight principles, risk management, and disciplined test execution in aviation environments •Proficiency in Python or similar tools for test automation, data analysis, or system validation •Excellent technical leadership and communication skills, including briefing to senior leadership and external customers •Demonstrated capacity to obtain and maintain a SECRET clearance; U.S. citizenship required •Prior role as Flight Test Director, Test Conductor, or Lead Flight Test Engineer on full-scale aircraft programs •Operational familiarity with military aviation test processes, including DT&E and OT&E frameworks •Background in autonomy, AI/ML-enabled systems, or human-machine teaming in aviation contexts Compensation: •$210,000 - $310,000 / year •Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!