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
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
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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