What you'll do:
- Source and procure mechanical commodities including machined parts, sheet metal, welded assemblies, structural components, fasteners, hardware, castings, forgings, and other fabricated components supporting aerospace and defense programs.
- Solicit supplier quotations, evaluate pricing and lead times, negotiate routine commercial terms, and execute purchase orders to meet program requirements.
- Manage supplier relationships to ensure on-time delivery, quality, and responsiveness while escalating performance issues as needed.
- Partner with Engineering to review drawings, specifications, bills of material (BOMs), and engineering changes to ensure suppliers understand manufacturing requirements.
- Support new product introduction (NPI) activities by coordinating supplier quotes, prototype builds, and material readiness.
- Work closely with Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supplier Quality to resolve supply chain issues, expedite critical hardware, and support production schedules.
- Track supplier commitments, monitor delivery performance, and proactively communicate risks affecting production or program milestones.
- Support supplier qualification activities, First Article Inspection (FAI), and quality requirements in coordination with Supplier Quality and Engineering.
- Maintain accurate supplier data, pricing, lead times, and purchasing documentation within the ERP system.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings, lead time improvements, and process efficiencies while supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
- 3+ years of experience in purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain management supporting manufacturing or aerospace/defense environments.
- Experience sourcing one or more mechanical commodity groups such as:
- Precision machined components
- Sheet metal fabrications
- Welded assemblies
- Structural components
- Fasteners and hardware
- Castings and forgings
- Composites
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, bills of material (BOMs), and manufacturing specifications.
- Experience obtaining supplier quotations, negotiating pricing and lead times, and managing purchase orders.
- Basic understanding of manufacturing processes including CNC machining, welding, fabrication, finishing, and assembly.
- Familiarity with aerospace quality systems such as AS9100 and First Article Inspection (FAI) processes is preferred.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Manufacturing, Planning, and Quality.
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel for purchasing and supplier management.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience supporting aerospace, defense, or other highly regulated manufacturing industries.
- Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, ITAR, and export compliance requirements.
- Experience supporting prototype, development, and production programs.
- Exposure to supplier performance management and continuous improvement activities.
- APICS/ASCM or CPSM certification is a plus.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Engineering, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)
- 3+ years experience in purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain supporting manufacturing or aerospace/defense
- Experience sourcing mechanical commodity groups (precision machined components, sheet metal, welded assemblies, structural components, fasteners, castings, forgings, composites)
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, bills of material (BOMs), and manufacturing specifications
- Experience soliciting supplier quotations, negotiating pricing and lead times, and managing purchase orders
- Basic understanding of manufacturing processes (CNC machining, welding, fabrication, finishing, assembly)
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Excel for purchasing and supplier management
- Strong organizational and analytical skills; ability to manage multiple priorities
- Effective communication and collaboration with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Manufacturing, Planning, Quality)
- Familiarity with aerospace quality systems such as AS9100 and First Article Inspection (FAI) processes
- Familiarity with FAR, DFARS, ITAR, and export compliance requirements
- Experience supporting prototype, development, and production programs; supplier performance management and continuous improvement exposure
- APICS/ASCM or CPSM certification
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage includes medical, dental, vision, and mental-health support, with company materials describing excellent coverage. Feedback suggests these offerings are comprehensive and consistently highlighted across official and third-party benefit lists.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full-time hires, with RSU structures and tools like Carta Tax intended to improve understanding and tax timing. Feedback suggests this broad-based ownership approach is a notable component of total rewards.
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Parental & Family Support — Benefits include paid parental leave, fertility support, childcare benefits, family medical leave, and onsite resources such as a Mother's Room. Feedback suggests the family-oriented offerings are more expansive than basic coverage.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
