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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Senior, customer-facing Field Support Engineer for X-BAT VTOL systems. Troubleshoot and resolve aircraft, avionics, propulsion, communications, autonomy, and ground support issues; support tests, deployments, and customers; liaise with engineering and cross-functional teams; document and close cases using CRM/issue-tracking tools; travel and deploy as required.
Summary Generated by Built In
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
The Field Support Engineer, X-BAT Aircraft Systems is a senior, customer-facing technical authority supporting Shield AI's X-BAT program, an AI-piloted VTOL fighter advancing runway-independent autonomous airpower for expeditionary, maritime, and contested environments. This role sustains readiness by resolving aircraft, mission system, avionics, propulsion, launch/recovery, ground support, and configuration issues across test, demonstration, deployment, and field operations.
The ideal candidate is a proven aircraft or UAS maintainer who can operate independently, communicate under pressure, and move technical issues from field discovery through disciplined closure using engineering data, product definition information, and structured support workflows.
What you'll do:
- Serve as the technical interface for X-BAT aircraft systems, mission equipment, launch/recovery equipment, ground support equipment, and fielded configurations
- Diagnose avionics, mission system, propulsion, electrical, datalink/communications, software/configuration, autonomy-supporting subsystem, and system-level discrepancies
- Use logs, fault codes, BIT data, schematics, drawings, technical manuals, product-definition data, and maintainer/operator debriefs to isolate root cause and recommend corrective actions
- Assess technical risk, restore readiness safely, and document recurring issues for escalation, trend analysis, and product improvement
- Provide mission-focused support to operators, maintainers, Field Service Representatives, customer leadership, and internal stakeholders during tests, demonstrations, training, deployments, and fielding activities
- Communicate issue status, risk, ownership, and next steps clearly while maintaining traceable case and action status in support and engineering workflow systems such as Salesforce, Jira, or comparable platforms
- Travel or deploy as required to support CONUS/OCONUS, maritime, austere, or non-standard schedule operations
- Partner with Engineering, Product, Manufacturing, Quality, Logistics, and Program teams to investigate field issues and validate corrective actions
- Use model-based design data, aircraft configuration information, and CAD/product-definition tools, including Siemens NX where applicable, to support troubleshooting and technical dispositions
- Improve troubleshooting guides, maintenance procedures, service bulletins, training materials, and knowledge-base content while monitoring trends and configuration changes
X-BAT Aircraft & Field Technical Support
Customer, Test & Operational Support
Engineering & Fleet Readiness
What success looks like:
- X-BAT aircraft and system-level issues are resolved quickly, safely, and with minimal operational disruption
- Customers and maintainers view Field Support as responsive, technically credible, and mission-aligned
- Engineering receives actionable field data that reduces recurring issues and improves product supportability
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in STEM, aerospace, engineering, aviation technology, aviation maintenance, aviation management, or related technical discipline and 8+ years of directly applicable experience; OR master's degree and 6+ years; OR associate/technical certification and 10+ years; OR high school diploma/GED and 12+ years in lieu of degree
- Hands-on aircraft/UAS maintenance or sustainment experience such as military avionics technician, aircraft crew chief, aircraft/UAS maintainer, A&P mechanic, Field Service Engineer/Representative, depot technician, or flight-line troubleshooter
- Advanced troubleshooting and fault isolation across aircraft, avionics, mission systems, electrical/mechanical, propulsion, ground support equipment, or system-level issues
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, technical manuals, maintenance procedures, fault-isolation data, configuration documentation, and product definition information
- Strong customer-facing communication skills and ability to make sound technical judgments in high-tempo, ambiguous, developmental, or austere environments
- Ability to document, prioritize, and drive technical issues through closure using structured case management, corrective action, or engineering issue-tracking workflows
- Ability to travel domestically/internationally, deploy with customers, support non-standard schedules, pass required screenings, and obtain and maintain Secret DoD clearance and customer/program access as required
Preferred qualifications:
- Military aviation maintenance experience supporting fighter aircraft, Group 3-5 UAS, autonomous aircraft, ISR aircraft, developmental flight test, or other advanced military aviation systems
- Experience with VTOL aircraft, launch/recovery systems, avionics/mission systems, CNI/datalinks, GPS/INS, flight controls/autopilot, electrical power, propulsion, payloads, ground control systems, or ground support equipment
- Working familiarity with Siemens NX or comparable CAD/product-definition environments used to review assemblies, interfaces, configuration details, drawings, and technical dispositions
- Experience managing technical support actions, customer cases, corrective actions, or engineering investigations through Salesforce, Jira, or comparable CRM and issue-management platforms
- Prior Field Support Engineer, Field Service Representative, military customer support, depot, deployed sustainment, or new aircraft fielding experience
- FAA A&P, FAA Part 107, pilot rating, NCATT/AET, FCC, military aviation maintenance qualification, or active DoD clearance/program access
#LI-JM1
#LC
Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in STEM/aerospace/engineering/aviation maintenance or related and 8+ years; OR master's +6 years; OR associate/technical cert +10 years; OR HS/GED +12 years
- Hands-on aircraft/UAS maintenance or sustainment experience (military avionics technician, crew chief, A&P mechanic, Field Service Engineer, depot technician, flight-line troubleshooter)
- Advanced troubleshooting and fault isolation across aircraft, avionics, mission systems, electrical/mechanical, propulsion, ground support equipment, and system-level issues
- Ability to diagnose using logs, fault codes, BIT data, schematics, drawings, technical manuals, and product-definition data
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, maintenance procedures, and configuration documentation
- Strong customer-facing communication skills and ability to make sound technical judgments in high-tempo, ambiguous, or austere environments
- Ability to document, prioritize, and drive technical issues to closure using structured case management and issue-tracking workflows (e.g., Salesforce, Jira)
- Ability to travel domestically/internationally, deploy with customers, support non-standard schedules, pass required screenings, and obtain and maintain Secret DoD clearance and customer/program access as required
- Experience diagnosing datalink/communications, GPS/INS, flight controls/autopilot, payloads, and launch/recovery systems
- Working familiarity with Siemens NX or comparable CAD/product-definition tools to review assemblies and configuration details
- Experience managing technical support actions, customer cases, corrective actions, or engineering investigations via Salesforce, Jira, or similar platforms
- Military aviation maintenance experience supporting fighters, Group 3-5 UAS, ISR, developmental flight test, or similar advanced systems
- Certifications such as FAA A&P, FAA Part 107, pilot rating, NCATT/AET, FCC, military maintenance qualification, or active DoD clearance/program access
What the Team is Saying
Dylan
Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion
Mo
Lead Engineer, Platform Automation
Willy
Technical Director
Michael
Engineering Manager - State Estimation
Vibhav
Senior Staff Engineer
Kirby
Mechanical Engineer
Ryan
CEO
Evan
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
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.
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The Company
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
