Staff Engineer, Field Quality (R4958)

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:

Join a high-impact quality engineering team supporting next-generation autonomous systems deployed in demanding operational environments. This role works closely with engineering, manufacturing, test, and field operations teams to identify product quality issues, drive root cause investigations, and improve system reliability across the product lifecycle. You will serve as a key link between field performance and engineering execution by translating operational issues into measurable product improvements.

We are seeking a Field Quality Engineer with experience supporting complex hardware systems in aerospace, defense, robotics, or related industries, including failure analysis, corrective actions, reliability tracking, and cross-functional problem solving.

What you'll do:

• Investigate field-reported issues and drive root cause analysis across hardware, software, and integrated systems
• Partner with engineering, manufacturing, and test teams to implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• Analyze reliability and performance trends to identify systemic quality issues and improve product robustness
• Support validation, troubleshooting, and failure reproduction efforts for fielded systems
• Develop quality metrics, reporting, and tracking tools to improve visibility into field performance and defect trends
• Coordinate issue resolution across cross-functional teams while ensuring timely communication and closure

Required qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in quality engineering, field engineering, systems integration, manufacturing quality, or related technical roles
• Strong experience with root cause analysis, failure investigation, and corrective action implementation in complex hardware environments
• Ability to diagnose system-level issues across mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces
• Experience analyzing reliability data, defect trends, and operational performance metrics
• Strong communication and organizational skills with the ability to coordinate across engineering and operations teams
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced development and operational environments

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, or autonomous systems programs
• Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, or regulated engineering environments
• Experience with environmental testing, system validation, or field operations support
• Experience using data analysis and reporting tools such as Python, SQL, Jira, Power BI, or Tableau

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Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.