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. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

As a Hardware Reliability Engineer (Engineer II) at Shield AI, you will support efforts to ensure the robustness and long-term performance of our VBAT flight hardware. You’ll work closely with design, manufacturing, and supplier teams to help implement design-for-reliability best practices and assist with reliability verification activities from concept through production.

In this role, you will contribute to environmental and stress testing efforts, support failure analysis investigations, and help analyze test and field data to identify potential reliability risks. You’ll participate in design reviews and FMEA activities, assist in root cause investigations for manufacturing and field issues, and support initiatives to improve hardware reliability across the program.

What you'll do:

Support environmental and stress testing efforts (e.g., temperature cycling, vibration, HALT/HASS) to validate hardware reliability

Assist in failure analysis and root cause investigations for manufacturing non-conformances and field returns

Analyze test results and field data to help identify potential failure modes and reliability risks

Collaborate with design engineers to incorporate design-for-reliability best practices

Participate in design reviews and FMEA activities to evaluate potential issues

Support development of corrective actions and process improvements to enhance hardware reliability

Assist in reviewing materials, manufacturing processes, and component selection for reliability considerations

Utilize data analysis tools (e.g., Python) to support reliability assessments and reporting

Work cross-functionally with engineering, manufacturing, and supplier teams

Travel occasionally to support testing or supplier engagements as needed

Required qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related field

1–3 years of experience (internships or co-ops acceptable) in hardware, materials, or reliability engineering

Foundational understanding of materials science, electronics (PCBs/PCBAs), and/or mechanical systems

Familiarity with basic reliability concepts and environmental testing methods

Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

Ability to work in a team-oriented, cross-functional environment

Clear written and verbal communication skills

Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Preferred qualifications:

Hands-on experience with failure analysis or lab testing (academic or industry)

Exposure to environmental testing (temperature, vibration, HALT/HASS)

Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as PCB fabrication, SMT, or mechanical assembly

Basic proficiency in Python or similar tools for data analysis

Exposure to industry standards such as IPC, JEDEC, MIL, or similar

Hardware Reliability Lab Engineer II (R5142)

Job Description:

What you'll do:

Required qualifications:

Preferred qualifications:

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