We are seeking a Manager of Propulsion to lead the development and execution of engine and thrust vector control (TVC) systems for the X-BAT vehicle, powered by a fighter-class, afterburning jet engine. This role leads a team of propulsion engineers and technicians responsible for developing, integrating, testing, and operating flight-critical propulsion hardware from concept through flight and operational deployment.
You will work closely with propulsion Responsible Engineers (REs), controls, airframe, flight test, manufacturing, and leadership teams to ensure engine and TVC development aligns with vehicle-level objectives, mission requirements, and program milestones. This role requires strong technical leadership, hands-on engagement, and the ability to drive execution in a fast-paced aerospace development environment.
What you'll do:
- Lead propulsion engineering efforts related to engine and TVC development, integration, testing, and flight operations.
- Support and mentor propulsion REs responsible for engine modules, nozzles, actuators, vectoring hardware, and associated propulsion systems.
- Drive technical execution, staffing, prioritization, and schedule alignment across propulsion activities.
- Guide teams through propulsion trade studies involving thermodynamics, transient behavior, thermal management, structural integration, and operability limits.
- Coordinate closely with controls, airframe, and mission teams to ensure propulsion integration supports aircraft maneuverability, survivability, and CONOPS requirements.
- Support root cause investigations, performance anomalies, design reviews, and flight readiness activities.
- Drive technical rigor, accountability, and measurable execution across the propulsion organization.
- Collaborate with suppliers and external partners supporting propulsion hardware and testing.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
- 7-10+ years of experience in propulsion system development, integration, test, or flight operations.
- Experience leading engineering teams or large cross-functional technical efforts.
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and aerospace propulsion fundamentals.
- Deep understanding of gas turbine engine operation, transient response, thrust production, operability limits, and thermal constraints.
- Hands-on experience supporting propulsion hardware development and test programs.
- Strong communication and organizational skills.
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with fighter-class or low-bypass turbofan propulsion systems.
- Familiarity with engine controls, TVC systems, transient response, and actuator integration.
- Experience with GFSSP, REFPROP, ANSYS, FEA, or propulsion performance analysis tools.
- Background in rocket propulsion or thrust vector control systems.
- Experience operating in hardware-centric, test-driven aerospace environments.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline
- 7-10+ years of experience in propulsion system development, integration, test, or flight operations
- Experience leading engineering teams or large cross-functional technical efforts
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and aerospace propulsion fundamentals
- Deep understanding of gas turbine engine operation, transient response, thrust production, operability limits, and thermal constraints
- Hands-on experience supporting propulsion hardware development and test programs
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
- Experience with fighter-class or low-bypass turbofan propulsion systems
- Familiarity with engine controls, TVC systems, transient response, and actuator integration
- Experience with GFSSP, REFPROP, ANSYS, FEA, or propulsion performance analysis tools
- Background in rocket propulsion or thrust vector control systems
- Experience operating in hardware-centric, test-driven aerospace environments
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline
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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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
