Engineering Jobs at Shield AI with Visa Sponsorship
Engineering jobs at Shield AI span software, hardware, autonomy, and embedded systems for autonomous defense applications. The company sponsors several work authorization pathways, making it a realistic target for international engineers with specialized technical backgrounds in aerospace or defense-adjacent fields.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Join a high-impact quality engineering team supporting the development and validation of next-generation autonomous systems. This role works closely with engineering, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure products meet reliability, performance, and quality standards throughout development and production. You will support inspection, testing, troubleshooting, and data collection activities that improve product quality and execution efficiency.
We are seeking a Quality Engineering Technician with hands-on experience supporting hardware testing, inspection, diagnostics, and quality processes in aerospace, defense, robotics, or complex manufacturing environments.
What you'll do:
- Perform inspections, testing, and quality verification activities across mechanical and electrical systems
- Support failure investigations, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis efforts for hardware and integrated systems
- Collect, document, and analyze quality and test data to support engineering and manufacturing teams
- Assist with nonconformance tracking, corrective actions, and quality documentation
- Support validation and environmental testing activities including setup, instrumentation, and data capture
- Partner with engineering and production teams to improve quality processes, inspection methods, and product reliability
Required qualifications:
- 3+ years of experience in quality inspection, test technician, manufacturing, or engineering support roles
- Experience using measurement and diagnostic tools such as calipers, multimeters, torque tools, and other inspection equipment
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, work instructions, and technical documentation
- Strong troubleshooting and organizational skills in fast-paced hardware development or production environments
- Experience documenting quality issues, test results, and inspection data with high attention to detail
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, or autonomous systems programs
- Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, or regulated manufacturing environments
- Experience with environmental or system-level testing activities
- Basic experience with data analysis or scripting tools such as Excel, Python, Jira, or SQL
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $34 - $51 an hour
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.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
INTRODUCTION
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Join a high-impact quality engineering team supporting the development and validation of next-generation autonomous systems. This role works closely with engineering, manufacturing, and test teams to ensure products meet reliability, performance, and quality standards throughout development and production. You will support inspection, testing, troubleshooting, and data collection activities that improve product quality and execution efficiency.
We are seeking a Quality Engineering Technician with hands-on experience supporting hardware testing, inspection, diagnostics, and quality processes in aerospace, defense, robotics, or complex manufacturing environments.
What you'll do:
- Perform inspections, testing, and quality verification activities across mechanical and electrical systems
- Support failure investigations, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis efforts for hardware and integrated systems
- Collect, document, and analyze quality and test data to support engineering and manufacturing teams
- Assist with nonconformance tracking, corrective actions, and quality documentation
- Support validation and environmental testing activities including setup, instrumentation, and data capture
- Partner with engineering and production teams to improve quality processes, inspection methods, and product reliability
Required qualifications:
- 3+ years of experience in quality inspection, test technician, manufacturing, or engineering support roles
- Experience using measurement and diagnostic tools such as calipers, multimeters, torque tools, and other inspection equipment
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, work instructions, and technical documentation
- Strong troubleshooting and organizational skills in fast-paced hardware development or production environments
- Experience documenting quality issues, test results, and inspection data with high attention to detail
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, or autonomous systems programs
- Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, or regulated manufacturing environments
- Experience with environmental or system-level testing activities
- Basic experience with data analysis or scripting tools such as Excel, Python, Jira, or SQL
COMPENSATION
- Salary Range: $34 - $51 an hour
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.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
See all Engineering Jobs at Shield AI
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Engineering Jobs at Shield AI
Obtain Security Clearance Eligibility Early
Many Shield AI Engineering roles require or strongly prefer candidates who can obtain a U.S. security clearance. Only U.S. citizens and certain permanent residents qualify, so if you're on a nonimmigrant visa, target roles explicitly marked clearance-not-required.
Align Your Degree to Defense-Specific Disciplines
Shield AI's Engineering hires lean heavily toward autonomy, robotics, embedded systems, and aerospace engineering. A degree in one of these fields strengthens your H-1B specialty occupation case and signals direct relevance to hiring managers reviewing defense-focused technical roles.
Filter Open Roles by Visa Eligibility on Migrate Mate
Shield AI posts Engineering roles across multiple teams, but not all positions are open to sponsored candidates. Use Migrate Mate to filter specifically for Shield AI Engineering jobs that match your current visa type and work authorization status.
Start OPT Applications Before Your Program Ends
F-1 students targeting Shield AI should file for OPT with USCIS up to 90 days before graduation. Defense contractors move carefully through background checks, so a delayed work authorization start date can cost you the offer window.
Prepare for a Longer Employer PERM Timeline
If Shield AI pursues a Green Card for you via EB-2 or EB-3, the PERM labor certification process through DOL typically takes one to two years before the I-140 petition is even filed. Factor this into your long-term status planning from day one.
Address Export Control Requirements in Your Application
Aerospace and defense employers like Shield AI must comply with ITAR export control regulations, which sometimes restrict certain engineering roles to U.S. persons. Ask recruiters directly whether a role has ITAR restrictions before investing time in the interview process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shield AI sponsor H-1B visas for Engineers?
Shield AI has sponsored employment-based visas including H-1B visa for qualifying Engineering roles, though not every position is eligible. Defense contractors are subject to ITAR export control rules, which can limit some technical roles to U.S. persons. Confirm visa eligibility directly with the recruiter for each specific role before proceeding through the interview process.
How do I apply for Engineering jobs at Shield AI?
Applications go through Shield AI's careers page, where Engineering roles are organized by team, such as autonomy, software, hardware, and systems engineering. You can also browse Shield AI Engineering positions filtered by visa sponsorship type on Migrate Mate, which helps you identify which open roles are realistically accessible based on your current work authorization status.
Which visa types are commonly used for Engineering roles at Shield AI?
Shield AI has sponsored F-1 OPT, F-1 CPT, TN visa, J-1 visa, and employment-based immigrant visa categories including EB-2 and EB-3 for Engineering positions. TN visa is available for Canadian and Mexican nationals in qualifying engineering occupations. Immigrant visa sponsorship typically comes after an initial period of employment on a nonimmigrant status.
What qualifications are expected for Engineering roles at Shield AI?
Shield AI Engineering roles typically require a bachelor's degree or higher in a technical field such as computer science, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, robotics, or a closely related discipline. Roles on the autonomy and machine learning teams often require graduate-level experience. Practical experience with defense systems, embedded platforms, or autonomous vehicles strengthens your profile significantly in a competitive candidate pool.
How does the visa sponsorship timeline work when joining Shield AI as an Engineer?
If you're transitioning from F-1 OPT, your employer needs to file an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, with the H-1B cap lottery occurring each April for an October 1 start date. Shield AI's background check and onboarding process in the defense sector can run longer than typical tech employers, so building lead time into your authorization timeline matters considerably.