We are seeking a Manager of Propulsion to lead propulsion test development and execution for the X-BAT vehicle, powered by a fighter-class, afterburning jet engine. This role oversees propulsion test infrastructure, engine testing, subsystem validation, and flight test support activities required to mature propulsion hardware from development through operational readiness.
You will lead a team of propulsion test engineers and technicians responsible for designing, building, and operating propulsion test stands and facilities supporting engine, fuel, oil, bleed air, and TVC systems. This role requires strong technical leadership, operational awareness, hands-on involvement in testing activities, and the ability to rapidly solve complex technical problems in demanding test environments.
What you'll do:
- Lead propulsion test planning and execution from component-level development through flight readiness.
- Oversee the design, analysis, and construction of propulsion test stands, fixtures, instrumentation systems, and safety systems.
- Support propulsion REs in defining test objectives, instrumentation strategies, and data analysis methodologies.
- Guide teams through propulsion thermodynamic analysis, transient characterization, thermal performance evaluation, and operability validation.
- Drive root cause investigations and rapid troubleshooting efforts during testing activities.
- Coordinate test schedules, facility readiness, staffing, and supplier support.
- Ensure propulsion testing aligns with vehicle-level milestones and program priorities.
- Lead development of test processes, standards, and operational best practices.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
- 7-10+ years of experience in propulsion testing or aerospace development programs.
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and aerospace propulsion fundamentals.
- Strong understanding of gas turbine engine testing, instrumentation, transient response, and propulsion system integration.
- Hands-on experience designing or operating propulsion test stands and facilities.
- Experience leading technical teams and coordinating complex test operations.
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience testing fighter-class or low-bypass turbofan propulsion systems.
- Familiarity with Python, REFPROP, GFSSP, ANSYS, FEA, or propulsion performance analysis tools.
- Experience with controls integration, TVC testing, transient characterization, or operability mapping.
- Background in rocket propulsion testing or hot-fire development environments.
- Experience operating in hardware-centric, test-driven aerospace organizations.
- 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 testing or aerospace development programs.
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and aerospace propulsion fundamentals.
- Strong understanding of gas turbine engine testing, instrumentation, transient response, and propulsion system integration.
- Hands-on experience designing or operating propulsion test stands and facilities.
- Experience leading technical teams and coordinating complex test operations.
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance.
- Experience testing fighter-class or low-bypass turbofan propulsion systems.
- Familiarity with Python, REFPROP, GFSSP, ANSYS, FEA, or propulsion performance analysis tools.
- Experience with controls integration, TVC testing, transient characterization, or operability mapping.
- Background in rocket propulsion testing or hot-fire development environments.
- Experience operating in hardware-centric, test-driven aerospace organizations.
- 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 is described as excellent, with dental/vision and mental‑health support, and ancillary protections like life and disability appearing in benefit summaries. The breadth and perceived affordability of coverage are highlighted as a standout component of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is featured alongside enhanced maternity benefits, fertility and childcare support, and onsite resources such as a Mother’s Room. These elements are positioned as competitive and above the minimal baseline for the company’s stage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full‑time hires, with RSUs, double‑trigger tax timing, and tools to model scenarios (e.g., through Carta Tax). Communications also reference a transition from options to RSUs, reinforcing access and maturity of ownership programs.
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.
