---
title: 'Structures / Mechanical Test Co-op - January 2027 Co-op at Shield AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/structures-mechanical-test-co-op-january-2027-co-op-shield-ai-dallas-z52vah8zwa6a'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# Structures / Mechanical Test Co-op - January 2027 Co-op at Shield AI

- **Company:** Shield AI
- **Location:** Dallas, TX
- **Compensation:** $41–$70/hr
- **Employment:** internship
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-11-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/1be0e71a-cf7f-4966-8532-09e6f40bb9dc

## Job description

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.

Our Summer Internship program is a wonderful opportunity for Fall and Spring graduates to immerse themselves in an innovative and mission driven culture. Our paid internship program will provide you with hands on mentorship, an opportunity to add real contribution to our company via your internship project, and a possible job offer at the end. You will have the chance to make lifelong friendships, expand your network, and learn all about what it's like to work in a high-growth, fast scaling tech unicorn. You'll take part in company sponsored events and enjoy exploring a new city. Read on below to learn more about this unique internship!

Required qualifications

- Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's program in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

- Available for a full-time co-op starting January 2027

- Familiarity with CAD software such as Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or similar, through coursework or projects.

- Basic understanding of mechanical systems, structural mechanics, and engineering fundamentals.

- Exposure to Python or another programming language for data analysis or automation.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and a willingness to learn new tools and technologies.

- Clear written and verbal communication, and the ability to work well on a team.

## Preferred qualifications

- Previous internship, co-op, research, Formula SAE, Baja SAE, robotics, capstone, or other hands-on project experience involving mechanical testing or hardware development.

- Exposure to hydraulic or pneumatic systems.

- Familiarity with strain gauges, load cells, pressure sensors, or other instrumentation.

- Experience with lab testing, data acquisition systems, or experimental methods.

- Exposure to Finite Element Analysis (FEA).

- Experience with composite materials through coursework, research, or projects.

#intern

Shield AI is proud to offer competitive pay and a housing stipend for qualified hires. While our People Experience team provides resources and assistance, interns are responsible to find their own housing and travel to and from their office location.

###

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

## About Shield AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Shield AI builds AI pilots and autonomous systems for military aircraft to protect service members and civilians.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series G, venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: San Diego, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, Andrew Reiter

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Defense technology, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, aerospace
- Target customers: U.S. Department of Defense, allied nations’ military forces (B2G / Government)
- Mission or purpose statement: “Protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.”

## Products & Services
- **Hivemind**: A combat‑tested, modular autonomy stack for aircraft – self‑driving technology for drones, jets, and helicopters. Includes path‑planning, mapping, state‑estimation, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Type: Software (AI/autonomy).
- **V‑BAT**: A vertical take‑off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for persistent ISR and strike missions. Type: Hardware (drone).
- **X‑BAT**: An advanced unmanned aircraft system with extended endurance and payload capacity, built for multi‑domain operations. Type: Hardware (drone).
- **Hivemind Vision Systems**: Computer‑vision and sensor‑fusion capabilities integrated into Hivemind for GPS‑denied environments. Type: Software + sensors.
- **Hivemind Enterprise**: A deployable version of Hivemind for third‑party platforms and commercial applications. Type: Software.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company). Total funding raised: $3.6B (as of Series G in March 2026).
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$21.7M (estimated, private) | Total Funding $3.6B (including $2B Series G led by JP Morgan Chase and Advent International, March 2026).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: JP Morgan Chase, Advent International, Blackstone, Riot Ventures, SnowPoint Ventures, Disruptive (55+ investors total). Strategic partners include U.S. DoD and allied defense forces.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 68.3% YoY to 1,283 employees; 338 active job postings (+57.2% YoY); operates in 5 countries (U.S., Australia, UAE, Norway, Ukraine); recent acquisitions of Sentient Vision Systems (2024), Heron Systems, MARTIN UAV.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Combat‑proven autonomy**: Hivemind has been tested in live military operations, providing a first‑mover advantage in contested, GPS‑denied environments.
- **Full‑stack integration**: Combines software (AI pilot), hardware (V‑BAT, X‑BAT), and sensor systems, creating a tightly integrated product ecosystem.
- **Cross‑functional engineering culture**: Engineers work across AI, robotics, aerospace, and defense – not siloed – enabling rapid iteration and field deployment.
- **Top talent pipeline**: Employees drawn from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Amazon, Anduril, and other leading defense/tech firms.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale AI pilots across all domains**: Extend Hivemind from aircraft to ships, satellites, and ground vehicles (“every military asset”).
- **International expansion**: Growing presence in Australia, Europe, and Middle East via mission autonomy centers and partnerships.
- **Deepen autonomy stack**: Continued investment in reinforcement learning, simulation, and computer vision to maintain leadership in contested‑environment autonomy.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission‑driven work**: Directly contribute to protecting service members and civilians with cutting‑edge AI and robotics.
- **Cross‑functional teams**: Engineers collaborate across disciplines (AI, hardware, software, systems) on real‑world defense challenges.
- **Benefits**: Excellent medical coverage, mental health EAP, paid parental leave, pet insurance, flexible work hours, gym discounts (SD) / on‑site gym (DC), free parking, competitive compensation, 401k with match, stock benefits.
- **Work policy**: Flexible work hours; some offices (e.g., San Diego HQ, Arlington, DC) have on‑site facilities. Remote/hybrid options available depending on role.
- **Growth trajectory**: Rapidly scaling (68% headcount growth) with hundreds of open roles across engineering, operations, and program management.

## Sources
1. [shield.ai/about](https://shield.ai/about/)
2. [shield.ai/careers](https://shield.ai/careers/)
3. [LinkedIn – Shield AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai)
4. [CBInsights – Shield AI](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/shield-ai)
5. [Lever – Shield AI Jobs](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai)

## Other roles at Shield AI

- [2027 Summer Intern - Supplier Development Engineer - 6463](https://feeny.ai/job/2027-summer-intern-supplier-development-engineer-6463-shield-ai-dallas-pptfvv19dqkf) — Dallas, TX
- [2027 Summer Intern - Supply Chain Materials Planner - 6434](https://feeny.ai/job/2027-summer-intern-supply-chain-materials-planner-6434-shield-ai-seattle-4djy6m09a4cj) — Seattle, WA
- [Autonomy Engineer, Technical Documentation](https://feeny.ai/job/autonomy-engineer-technical-documentation-shield-ai-san-diego-97g67v4ys3n9) — San Diego, CA
- [Director, Systems Engineering & Architecture - Hivemind Enterprise](https://feeny.ai/job/director-systems-engineering-architecture-hivemind-enterprise-shield-ai-san-z1zb7g7vsm3y) — San Diego, CA
- [Supplier Quality Specialist - PCBA Rework (R6420)](https://feeny.ai/job/supplier-quality-specialist-pcba-rework-r6420-shield-ai-dallas-dz062p41425m) — Dallas, TX
- [Supplier Quality Specialist (R6419)](https://feeny.ai/job/supplier-quality-specialist-r6419-shield-ai-dallas-q154qa8r2wc9) — Dallas, TX
- [Senior Executive Recruiter - G&A (R6520)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-executive-recruiter-g-a-r6520-shield-ai-remote-snsx3nvzjs9y)
- [Senior Executive Recruiter - Hivemind (R6523)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-executive-recruiter-hivemind-r6523-shield-ai-remote-mmd5bjrh5ehm)
- [Senior Executive Recruiter - Aircraft (R6521)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-executive-recruiter-aircraft-r6521-shield-ai-remote-w5x8jyftv460)
- [Sr. Director, Global People Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-director-global-people-operations-shield-ai-seattle-6xtw6kzm9trf) — Seattle, WA