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 https://shield.ai/. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai, X https://x.com/shieldaitech, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shield_ai, and YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Shield_AI. 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, te