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:
As the Lead Harness Specialist, you will serve as the technical lead for the Hardware Test Harness Team, helping establish and grow a dedicated harness capability that supports V-BAT and X-BAT test operations. You will remain deeply involved in the hands-on fabrication, integration, and troubleshooting of wire harnesses and cable assemblies while providing day-to-day leadership, mentorship, and technical direction for a team of harness technicians.
Working closely with Hardware Test, Electrical, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Engineering teams, you will help define fabrication standards, improve build processes, ensure product quality, and support the development of reliable test infrastructure. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys building high-quality hardware, solving technical challenges, and developing a team while remaining actively engaged in day-to-day execution.
What you'll do:
Build, modify, repair, and validate complex wire harnesses and cable assemblies supporting Hardware Test systems for V-BAT and X-BAT.
Lead daily activities for the Hardware Test Harness Team, providing technical guidance, work prioritization, and mentorship to harness technicians.
Establish and continuously improve harness fabrication processes, quality standards, documentation, and best practices.
Interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, connector pinouts, wire lists, and engineering drawings to build production-quality harnesses.
Assemble and integrate harnesses into electrical and electromechanical test stands, fixtures, and laboratory equipment.
Perform continuity testing, insulation resistance testing, and functional verification to ensure harness quality and reliability.
Troubleshoot wiring issues, connector failures, and integration problems to support development and production test operations.
Partner with engineers during new test stand development to provide manufacturability feedback and improve harness serviceability.
Support configuration management by maintaining harness documentation, revisions, bills of materials, and work instructions.
Coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders to ensure materials and components are available to meet project schedules.
Support laboratory operations by responding to emergent issues and performing repairs that minimize test downtime.
Foster a culture of craftsmanship, safety, accountability, and continuous improvement within the Harness Team.
Other duties as assigned.
Required qualifications:
5+ years of experience building wire harnesses, cable assemblies, or electrical systems in aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, or similar industries.
Demonstrated experience leading technicians or serving as a technical lead on hardware build activities.
Strong ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, connector pinouts, and engineering drawings.
Hands-on experience with harness fabrication techniques including crimping, soldering, shielding, splicing, labeling, and connector assembly.
Experience performing electrical verification including continuity testing, insulation resistance testing, and troubleshooting.
Familiarity with aerospace-quality workmanship standards and documentation practices.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to balance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
Proven history of taking ownership, delivering high-quality work, and collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
Record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and treating others with respect.
Preferred qualifications:
Experience building harnesses for aerospace, UAV, military, robotics, or autonomous systems.
Experience supporting hardware test laboratories, manufacturing test equipment, or production test environments.
Familiarity with IPC/WHMA-A-620 workmanship standards or equivalent harness manufacturing standards.
Experience using harness design or documentation tools such as Capital, Zuken, SolidWorks Electrical, or AutoCAD Electrical.
Experience creating or improving manufacturing work instructions and build documentation.
Experience with soldering, machining, or electromechanical assembly.
Previous experience helping build or scale a technical team.
