Air Vehicle Lead

Shield AI
San Diego, Dallas
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeUSD 212,320 - 318,480 annuallyFunction: Administration & Executive AssistanceExperience: 15+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Technical ownership","First-principles thinking","Engineering judgment","Accountability","Mentoring"]

Serve as the senior technical leader for a new autonomous aircraft program, owning air-vehicle technical integrity from requirements and architecture through detailed design, build, ground test, flight test, and production. Lead multidisciplinary trades across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, flight controls, and systems integration, driving risk to closure with a hands-on, first-principles, build-test-learn approach while partnering with manufacturing and suppliers to transition to repeatable production.

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FursaFursa
Shield AI
Shield AI
1 week ago

Air Vehicle Lead

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Source: Company careers pageValidated by: Fursa AI
Last checked: 1 hour agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Serve as the senior technical leader for a new autonomous aircraft program, owning air-vehicle technical integrity from requirements and architecture through detailed design, build, ground test, flight test, and production. Lead multidisciplinary trades across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, flight controls, and systems integration, driving risk to closure with a hands-on, first-principles, build-test-learn approach while partnering with manufacturing and suppliers to transition to repeatable production.
Location: San Diego, Dallas
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Administration & Executive Assistance

Key Responsibilities

  • •Own the air vehicle’s overall architecture, technical performance, integration, and design integrity across the development lifecycle.
  • •Provide technical direction across aerodynamics and flight sciences, structures, mechanical systems, propulsion, avionics, electrical systems, and flight controls.
  • •Lead first-principles system-level trades and ensure subsystem decisions optimize the aircraft as a whole.
  • •Drive design execution from requirements through preliminary/critical design, hardware release, build, integration, ground test, and flight test; resolve issues that threaten schedule.
  • •Partner with manufacturing, suppliers, and partners to transition into repeatable production; manage and close technical risks to mission success.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 212,320 - 318,480 annually
Equity and Bonus:Equity
Perks:EquityAnnual Bonus

Key Requirements

  • •Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline; Master's preferred.
  • •15+ years of relevant aircraft development experience with significant technical leadership on complex aerospace programs.
  • •Experience leading the development of an air vehicle or major aircraft system through multiple phases of the development lifecycle (design, build, integration, ground test, flight test, production).
  • •Broad technical understanding across disciplines (aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, flight controls, avionics, mechanical systems) and ability to make informed system-level trades.
  • •Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the program.
Experience:15+ yearsAerospaceAircraft developmentAutonomous aircraftDefense-tech
Education:Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
Skills:Technical ownershipFirst-principles thinkingEngineering judgmentAccountabilityMentoring
Tech Stack:HivemindAechelonSynthetic reality

Eligibility

Security Clearance:Security clearance

Company Brief

Shield AI
Develops AI-powered autonomy and software for military aircraft and drones to enable autonomous ISR and combat missions, integrating perception, navigation, and mission planning for defense customers.
Industry: Defense Technology
Company Size: Large (251 to 1,000 employees)
Growth: Scaleup
Funding: Series E+
Headquarters: San Diego, United States
Founded: 2015
WebsiteLinkedIn