Senior Vibrations Test Engineer (R5091)

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: Do you enjoy working in a dynamic lab environment and contributing to hardware that can directly impact the safety of service members and civilians? Shield AI is looking for a hands-on Vibration Test Engineer to help validate the next generation of intelligent autonomous systems through rigorous dynamic testing. The Mechanical Test team's mission is to inform and improve Shield AI hardware design by quantifying product performance through custom measurement systems, specialized testing, and rigorous analysis. As a Vibration Test Engineer, you will serve as the team's subject matter expert in vibration and structural dynamics, leading efforts to characterize hardware response, validate analytical models, and ensure products can withstand demanding operational environments. We are looking for candidates who are passionate about structural dynamics, curious about how complex systems behave under dynamic loading, and excited to solve challenging engineering problems in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. You will partner closely with Mechanical Design, Analysis, Flight Test, Manufacturing, and Reliability teams to develop test strategies, investigate failures, and improve hardware performance throughout the product lifecycle. Success in this role requires deep technical expertise in vibration testing, strong analytical thinking, exceptional organization, and the ability to communicate complex technical findings to cross-functional engineering teams.

What you'll do:

Lead the planning, execution, and analysis of vibration test programs supporting product development, qualification, and flight readiness.

Design, build, and deploy instrumented test setups for vibration, modal, structural, and environmental testing using industry-standard measurement equipment.

Execute shaker table testing including sine sweep, random vibration, sine-on-random, resonance search, dwell, and shock testing.

Perform experimental modal analysis to characterize structural dynamics and validate finite element models.

Develop fixture designs and test methodologies that accurately replicate operational loading conditions while minimizing fixture influence.

Instrument hardware using accelerometers, strain gauges, force sensors, displacement sensors, and other dynamic measurement systems.

Analyze vibration response data using frequency-domain and time-domain techniques to identify resonances, mode shapes, damping characteristics, and potential failure mechanisms.

Partner closely with Mechanical Design and Structural Analysis engineers to correlate test results with analytical models and improve future designs.

Investigate vibration-related hardware issues, perform root cause analysis, and recommend design improvements.

Develop comprehensive test plans, procedures, reports, and technical presentations that clearly communicate results and engineering recommendations.

Maintain vibration testing equipment, data acquisition systems, instrumentation, and calibration records.

Support environmental qualification testing and other mechanical test activities as needed.

Required qualifications:

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Hands-on experience performing vibration testing of mechanical or aerospace systems through industry, research, internships, or competitive engineering projects.

Experience operating electrodynamic shaker systems and …