Senior Director, Engineering

Shield AI
San Diego, Dallas, Washington, Boston, San Francisco
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeUSD 250,000 - 380,000 annuallyFunction: Executive & General ManagementExperience: 15+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Leadership","Cross-functional collaboration","Stakeholder management","Technical governance","Communication"]

Lead engineering for the V-BAT Group 3 VTOL UAS program, directing a multidisciplinary organization across flight software, autonomy, flight controls/GNC, ground systems, aircraft, and payloads. Own engineering vision, technical strategy, system architecture, and technical governance while managing technical and program risk. Build and scale teams, drive cross-functional execution with partners and suppliers, and ensure compliance with aerospace standards and certification expectations to deliver high-quality product outcomes.

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FursaFursa
Shield AI
Shield AI
16 hours ago

Senior Director, Engineering

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Job Summary

Lead engineering for the V-BAT Group 3 VTOL UAS program, directing a multidisciplinary organization across flight software, autonomy, flight controls/GNC, ground systems, aircraft, and payloads. Own engineering vision, technical strategy, system architecture, and technical governance while managing technical and program risk. Build and scale teams, drive cross-functional execution with partners and suppliers, and ensure compliance with aerospace standards and certification expectations to deliver high-quality product outcomes.
Location: San Diego, Dallas, Washington, Boston, San Francisco
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Executive & General Management
Seniority: Sr. Director level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Build and lead the engineering and software team for the Group 3 UAS program, covering flight software, autonomy, flight controls/GNC, ground systems, flight systems, flight sciences, avionics, payloads, and propulsion.
  • •Define engineering vision, technical strategy, and system architecture aligned to the program roadmap and long-term technology investments; make architectural decisions and manage technical/program risk.
  • •Establish and continuously improve engineering standards and technical governance, including configuration management, documentation practices, and development processes such as CI/CD, automated testing, and modern DevOps.
  • •Lead organizational planning, workforce strategy, and capability roadmap to support multiple concurrent development, test, and sustainment efforts.
  • •Attract, hire, and retain top talent; mentor and grow Directors, engineering managers, and technical leads while driving cross-functional collaboration with engineering, flight test, operations, program management, supply chain, quality, and production.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 250,000 - 380,000 annually
Equity and Bonus:Equity

Key Requirements

  • •Typically requires a minimum of 15 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
  • •Strong technical background in one or more of: aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and avionics, propulsion, or closely related disciplines.
  • •Experience building and leading multidisciplinary engineering teams and organizations across hardware, software, and systems.
  • •Strong leadership and interpersonal skills with the ability to manage and inspire cross-functional teams, plus excellent written and verbal communication.
  • •Proven track record of successfully shipping products and navigating development cycles to deliver high-quality solutions.
Experience:15+ years
Education:Bachelor's
Skills:LeadershipCross-functional collaborationStakeholder managementTechnical governanceCommunication
Tech Stack:CI/CDAutomated testingDevOps

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