Flight Ops Technician

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

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The Flight Ops Technician III is a senior, hands-on technical role supporting the development, testing, and operation of unmanned aircraft systems in Ukraine. The role bridges aircraft prototyping, hardware integration, HIL/ground testing, aircraft maintenance, and field flight operations, working closely with hardware, software, autonomy, and flight-test teams.

The technician will build and modify prototype aircraft, integrate avionics and electrical systems, fabricate parts using 3D printing and other rapid-prototyping methods, and troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications, and system-level issues. They will also build, maintain, and troubleshoot HIL rigs and related test infrastructure, help establish and maintain a local prototyping and flight-operations lab, and support aircraft readiness and field testing.

This role is best suited for a versatile, self-sufficient senior technician who can move seamlessly between the lab, aircraft, HIL environment, and flight-test site—rapidly solving problems and helping engineering teams get systems ready for test and flight.

Flight Ops Technician III.

What You'll Do:: Build, modify, assemble, maintain, and repair prototype unmanned aircraft and related test systems.

Install and integrate avionics, sensors, compute hardware, radios, antennas, payloads, wiring, and other experimental hardware.

Fabricate prototype and replacement components using 3D printing, hand and power tools, and other rapid-prototyping methods.

Build, modify, and troubleshoot wiring harnesses, connectors, electrical assemblies, and aircraft electrical systems.

Build, wire, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot HIL rigs, test fixtures, and related engineering test infrastructure.

Integrate flight computers, avionics, sensors, actuators, communications equipment, and other aircraft hardware into HIL and bench-test environments.

Diagnose mechanical, electrical, avionics, communications, networking, and system-level issues across aircraft and test equipment.

Support SIL, HIL, VIL, bench, ground, and live-flight testing, including aircraft functional checks and troubleshooting.

Perform aircraft inspections, maintenance, repairs, configuration changes, and pre- and post-flight activities.

Help establish and maintain a local prototyping and flight-operations lab, including tools, test equipment, fabrication equipment, spares, batteries, and support equipment.

Support flight operations, including aircraft setup, launch and recovery, test-site setup and teardown, and preparation of equipment for field deployments.

Maintain aircraft, test-system, maintenance, configuration, inventory, and other technical documentation.

Work closely with hardware, software, autonomy, and flight-test engineers to rapidly diagnose problems, implement modifications, and improve test capabilities.

Transport personnel and equipment to test sites and travel within Ukraine to support testing, demonstrations, and operations.

Mentor less-experienced technicians and maintain high standards for workmanship, configuration control, organization, and safety.

Required Qualifications:: 5+ years of hands-on experience in UAS, aviation, aerospace, robotics, electronics, manufacturing, test support, or a related technical field.

Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with experience building, modifying, maintaining, or repairing complex electromechanical systems.

Experience integrating hardware into aircraft, robotics, prototypes, test systems, or comparable platforms.

Hands-on electrical experience, including wiring, connectors, soldering, crimping, cable fabrication, and electrical troubleshooting.

Experience building, maintaining, or troubleshooting HIL rigs, test stands, test fixtures, or similar hardware/software integration environments.

Ability to read and work from mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, and engineering documentation

Experience with rapid prototyping, fabrication, and iterative hardware development.

Ability to systematically troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications, and system-level problems.

Experience using common mechanical and electrical tools and test equipment.

Experience supporting engineering, ground, flight, or field testing.

Strong attention to detail, workmanship, safety, and configuration control.

Ability to work independently and solve technical problems in fast-moving workshop, laboratory, flight-line, and field environments.

Valid driver's license and ability to transport equipment and personnel to operational sites.

Ability to travel within Ukraine as required.

Required Qualifications:: * 5+ years of hands-on experience in UAS, aviation, aerospace, robotics, electronics, manufacturing, test support, or a related technical field.

• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude with experience building, modifying, maintaining, or repairing complex electromechanical systems.
• Experience integrating hardware into aircraft, robotics, prototypes, test systems, or comparable platforms.
• Hands-on electrical experience, including wiring, connectors, soldering, crimping, cable fabrication, and electrical troubleshooting.
• Experience building, maintaining, or troubleshooting HIL rigs, test stands, test fixtures, or similar hardware/software integration environments.
• Ability to read and work from mechanical drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, and engineering documentation.
• Experience with rapid prototyping, fabrication, and iterative hardware development.
• Ability to systematically troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, communications, and system-level problems.
• Experience using common mechanical and electrical tools and test equipment.
• Experience supporting engineering, ground, flight, or field testing.
• Strong attention to detail, workmanship, safety, and configuration control.
• Ability to work independently and solve technical problems in fast-moving workshop, laboratory, flight-line, and field environments.
• Valid driver's license and ability to transport equipment and personnel to operational sites.
• Ability to travel within Ukraine as required.

Preferred Qualifications:: * Experience maintaining or integrating fixed-wing and multirotor UAS.

• Experience with autonomous or experimental aircraft and Group 1 or Group 2 UAS.
• Experience building or maintaining HIL environments for aircraft, robotics, or autonomous systems.
• Experience with 3D printing, CAD, and prototype part fabrication.
• Experience integrating avionics, flight computers, sensors, actuators, radios, antennas, or payload systems.
• Experience with PX4, ArduPilot, or similar flight-control systems.
• Familiarity with Ground Control Stations, telemetry, RF systems, datalinks, and networking.
• Familiarity with Linux, command-line tools, scripting, or basic software troubleshooting.
• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies, or similar electrical test equipment.
• Experience establishing or maintaining an engineering lab, prototype shop, HIL lab, or flight-operations facility.
• Background in defense, aerospace, robotics, aircraft maintenance, manufacturing, or flight test.
• Experience working in austere or rapidly changing field environments.
• Ukrainian and English language proficiency.

Our international teammates receive a comprehensive total rewards package aligned to your country office location. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.