We are seeking a Manager of Propulsion to lead propulsion subsystem and component development for the X-BAT vehicle, powered by a fighter-class, afterburning jet engine. This role oversees the development of flight-critical propulsion hardware including valves, ducting, secondary structures, thermal systems, bleed air systems, oil systems, and integrated mechanical components operating in challenging thermal, vibration, and mass-constrained environments.
You will lead a multidisciplinary team of propulsion engineers and technicians responsible for cradle-to-grave development of propulsion components and subsystem architectures. This role requires strong technical leadership, execution ownership, and close coordination across propulsion, airframe, manufacturing, controls, and flight test organizations.
What you'll do:
- Lead propulsion subsystem and component development activities from concept through flight operations.
- Mentor propulsion REs responsible for propulsion hardware design, integration, testing, and operational support.
- Lead the design and development of propulsion components requiring careful balance of mass, thermal capability, structural integrity, manufacturability, and performance.
- Guide engineering teams through challenging thermal and flow environments involving high temperatures, pressure loads, vibration, and transient operation.
- Drive component-level architecture and integration decisions for valves, actuators, ducts, mounts, and supporting propulsion hardware.
- Drive cross-functional alignment between design, manufacturing, supply chain, test, and vehicle teams.
- Support technical reviews, integration planning, and root cause investigations.
- Drive team execution, staffing priorities, technical rigor, and measurable results.
- Coordinate supplier activities and technical deliverables supporting propulsion hardware.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
- 7-10+ years of experience in aerospace propulsion, fluid systems, or hardware development environments.
- Experience leading engineering teams or complex subsystem development efforts.
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and aerospace propulsion fundamentals.
- Strong understanding of aerospace component design, structural integration, and thermal/mechanical design constraints.
- Hands-on experience supporting development hardware and rapid iteration programs.
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience designing propulsion subsystems including valves, bleed air systems, oil systems, ducting, thermal systems, or structural integration hardware.
- Familiarity with Siemens NX, Teamcenter, ANSYS, FEA, GFSSP, or REFPROP.
- Experience designing high-performance aerospace components operating in thermally stressed or high-vibration environments.
- Familiarity with valve design, sealing strategies, high-temperature materials, and flow path optimization.
- Background in rocket propulsion, turbomachinery, or high-temperature aerospace hardware.
- Experience operating in test-driven aerospace development 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 aerospace propulsion, fluid systems, or hardware development environments
- Experience leading engineering teams or complex subsystem development efforts
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and aerospace propulsion fundamentals
- Strong understanding of aerospace component design, structural integration, and thermal/mechanical design constraints
- Hands-on experience supporting development hardware and rapid iteration programs
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
- Experience designing propulsion subsystems including valves, bleed air systems, oil systems, ducting, thermal systems, or structural integration hardware
- Familiarity with Siemens NX, Teamcenter, ANSYS, FEA, GFSSP, or REFPROP
- Experience designing high-performance aerospace components operating in thermally stressed or high-vibration environments
- Familiarity with valve design, sealing strategies, high-temperature materials, and flow path optimization
- Background in rocket propulsion, turbomachinery, or high-temperature aerospace hardware
- Experience operating in test-driven aerospace development 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 — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
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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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
