a16z Staff Engineer, Quality Assurance (R5358)
Posted Updated 3
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Summary
Leads quality assurance for Shield AI’s X-BAT weapons system, ensuring hardware, manufacturing, and test processes meet aerospace standards through inspections, root-cause analysis, and supplier collaboration.
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 . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
Shield AI is seeking a Quality Assurance to support the development and flight test of the X-BAT program. This role is heavily embedded with flight test and engineering operations and is responsible for ensuring test articles are properly configured, inspected, documented, and ready for safe and effective ground and flight testing.You will work closely with flight test, systems, design, manufacturing, test engineering, and program teams to identify and manage quality risks, resolve discrepancies, maintain configuration and traceability, and ensure test activities are executed in accordance with engineering requirements and approved processes.
What you'll do:
- Support ground and flight test readiness, including hardware inspections, configuration verification, test article acceptance, and review of test documentation
- Work directly with flight test and engineering teams to identify, document, and resolve hardware, configuration, process, and test discrepancies
- Review engineering drawings, specifications, test procedures, work instructions, configuration records, and acceptance criteria
- Ensure test articles meet applicable engineering, quality, safety, and configuration requirements before testing
- Support execution of ground and flight test activities, including inspections, test point readiness, discrepancy resolution, and post-test evaluations
- Manage nonconformances, test discrepancies, and quality records through appropriate containment, investigation, disposition, and corrective action
- Lead or support root cause analysis and corrective actions for product, process, and test-related issues
- Identify emerging quality risks and work with engineering and test teams to implement practical mitigations
- Analyze test and quality data to identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve development and test processes
- Support configuration management and traceability of developmental hardware, assemblies, and test articles
- Ensure objective evidence and quality records are complete and support product and test requirements
- Promote a culture of safety, technical rigor, accountability, and disciplined execution in developmental test operation
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, technology, quality, or related field, or equivalent experience supporting developmental test operations
- 5+ years of experience supporting developmental and/or operational ground or flight test
- Experience working directly with developmental aircraft, complex aerospace hardware, or mission-critical systems
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, bills of materials, test procedures, work instructions, and acceptance requirements
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced developmental test environment with changing requirements and priorities
- Willingness to work outdoors at test ranges and travel as required
- Overtime, evening, and weekend coverage as required by flight test operations
Preferred qualifications:
- 10+ years of experience supporting developmental or operational flight test
- Experience with unmanned aircraft, prototype aircraft, weapons systems, or other mission-critical aerospace systems
- Experience with flight test readiness, test article acceptance, configuration verification, or post-test inspection
- Working knowledge of AS9100 and aerospace/defense quality requirements
- Experience with MRB, NCR, RCCA, CAPA, and other quality processes
- Experience with configuration management and engineering change processes
- Familiarity with inspection and measurement methods used for aerospace hardware
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Six Sigma, or related certification
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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.
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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.
Skills
As published by lever · 20 questions · 9 written answers
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website
Short answers (1)
- Please state your full legal name:
Pick from a list (10)
- Are you authorized to work in the United States?
- Will you require sponsorship for employment now or in the future?
- This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to export controls, such as EAR. Are you any of the following?
- Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces?
- How did you hear about us?
- Are you a transitioning service member?
- If yes, what partnership program are you working with? optional
- Are you local to or willing to relocate? optional
- What office(s) would you be willing to relocate to? (Select all that apply) optional
- Do you have, or are you able to obtain, a S/SAR clearance? optional
Written answers (9)
- If yes, what type of sponsorship? optional
- If you selected "A protected Individual" OR "Other" to the above question, please explain further. optional
- (Optional) If you selected other or would like to expand on the above, feel free to do so below: optional
- If "Industry Conference" or "Other," please provide more details: optional
- If other, please provide further details optional
- When are you available to start your fellowship? optional
- When are you available for full time work? optional
- What full time job(s) are you applying for?
- If you selected international, what location(s)? optional