Shield AI

Staff Engineer, Manufacturing Equipment (R4592)

Shield AI$120K — $190K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or similar
  • 8+ years in production equipment or test cells support
  • Hands-on experience with electromechanical systems and controls
  • Ability to troubleshoot complex hardware and software issues
  • Proficient in developing technical documentation
  • Effective in cross-functional team environments

Responsibilities

  • Own the technical lifecycle of production equipment and test cells
  • Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of equipment failures
  • Drive improvements in equipment reliability and maintainability
  • Develop and maintain equipment documentation including schematics
  • Collaborate with teams to ensure equipment meets production requirements
  • Support equipment upgrades and capacity expansion
  • Define and execute acceptance testing and handoff to production

Benefits

  • Bonus opportunities
  • Equity options
  • Comprehensive benefits package
  • Professional development and mentorship programs
  • Work in a dynamic, mission-driven environment
Full Job Description
Job Description:

We are seeking a Staff Equipment Engineer to lead the development, sustainment, and improvement of production equipment, test racks, and test cells supporting manufacturing and system-level testing. This role is highly hands-on and works closely with Manufacturing, Test, Quality, and Design Engineering teams to ensure equipment reliability, scalability, and readiness for production. The ideal candidate has deep experience supporting complex electromechanical equipment in a production environment and driving improvements across safety, uptime, and throughput.

What you'll do:

  • Own the technical lifecycle of production equipment, test racks, and test cells, from production readiness through sustainment and continuous improvement
  • Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of equipment failures, downtime events, and test anomalies; implement corrective and preventive actions
  • Drive equipment reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) improvements to support production goals
  • Develop and maintain equipment documentation including schematics, BOMs, calibration plans, maintenance procedures, and operating instructions
  • Collaborate with Manufacturing, Test, and Quality teams to ensure equipment meets production, safety, and compliance requirements
  • Support equipment upgrades, obsolescence management, and capacity expansion as production scales
  • Define and execute equipment acceptance testing, validation, and handoff to production
  • Mentor junior engineers and technicians and provide technical leadership across equipment-related efforts
  • Manage external vendors and integrators as needed for equipment design, build, or modification


Required qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field
  • 8+ years of experience supporting production equipment, test racks, or test cells in a manufacturing or test environment
  • Strong hands-on experience with electromechanical systems, controls, instrumentation, and data acquisition
  • Proven ability to troubleshoot complex equipment issues across hardware, software, and controls domains
  • Experience developing and maintaining technical documentation for production equipment
  • Ability to work effectively on the factory floor and in cross-functional engineering teams


Preferred qualifications:

  • Experience supporting automated or semi-automated production and test equipment
  • Familiarity with PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, or test software (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, or similar)
  • Experience with equipment safety standards, lockout/tagout, and risk assessments
  • Background in scaling equipment from prototype or low-rate production to higher-rate manufacturing
  • Experience mentoring engineers or leading technical projects without direct authority


$120,000 - $190,000 a year

#LI-JM1

#LD

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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About Shield AI

Shield AI is a defense technology company that develops artificially intelligent systems for military applications. The company was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Shield AI's products include autonomous drones and software that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other military operations. The company's mission is to reduce the number of military casualties by providing soldiers with better intelligence and situational awareness. Shield AI has received funding from a number of investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Learn more about Shield AI
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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