We are seeking a highly motivated Staff Advance Industrial Engineer to design, optimize, and scale world-class manufacturing systems for advanced aerospace products. In this role, you will lead factory and production system design, including facility layouts, material flow, line balancing, capacity planning, and production readiness. You will also play a critical role in planning and executing greenfield manufacturing facilities, developing factory concepts from the ground up, including production layouts, infrastructure requirements, equipment planning, material flow strategies, and manufacturing standards.
Partnering with Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Facilities, Quality, EHS, and Program Management, you will develop efficient, scalable, and data-driven manufacturing solutions that enable rapid production growth. This is a high-impact role responsible for transforming manufacturing concepts into production-ready factories while driving safety, quality, throughput, and operational excellence.
What you'll do:
Lead factory layout development, production line design, and manufacturing system optimization for new and existing production programs.
Support the planning and execution of greenfield manufacturing facilities, including factory master planning, space allocation, utility requirements, equipment placement, production flow, and long-term capacity planning.
Develop manufacturing concepts from initial factory planning through production launch, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and operational efficiency.
Design and optimize material flow, point-of-use storage, supermarkets, kitting strategies, replenishment systems, tugger routes, and warehouse logistics.
Develop detailed 2D factory layouts and 3D manufacturing models, including equipment placement, utilities, workstations, safety zones, production support infrastructure, and future expansion plans.
Perform capacity planning, line balancing, takt time analysis, labor planning, buffer sizing, and bottleneck analysis to achieve production targets.
Conduct time studies, ergonomic assessments, spaghetti diagrams, and workflow analyses to improve productivity and eliminate waste.
Develop manufacturing standards for material presentation, packaging, FIFO management, visual controls, workstation design, and factory operating standards.
Lead cross-functional factory design reviews with Manufacturing Engineering, Production, Facilities, Supply Chain, Quality, EHS, and Program Management.
Utilize discrete-event simulation tools to model production throughput, identify constraints, validate factory designs, and optimize manufacturing strategies before implementation.
Support facility construction, equipment installation, tape-outs, utility coordination, commissioning, and production readiness activities during factory launches.
Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives including 5S, visual management, standardized work, continuous improvement, and value stream optimization.
Develop and maintain factory design standards, launch playbooks, production system guidelines, and manufacturing best practices to support future factory expansions and replication.
AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, Visio, or equivalent CAD/layout software
Siemens Plant Simulation, FlexSim, AnyLogic, or equivalent discrete-event simulation software
Time studies, MTM/MOST, work measurement, and labor analysis
Capacity modeling, line balancing, takt planning, and production system design
Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), 5S, Kanban, and Visual Management
Material flow analysis, warehouse and logistics design
Factory master planning and facility layout development
Strong analytical, project management, and cross-functional leadership skills
Tools & Skills
Required qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
8+ years of experience in industrial engineering, factory design, manufacturing systems, production planning, advanced manufacturing engineering, or greenfield facility development.
Experience designing factory layouts, production lines, and scalable manufacturing systems for complex products.
Experience supporting greenfield manufacturing projects, facility expansions, or major production line launches.
Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including machining, composites, electrical assemblies, precision mechanical assemblies, and final integration.
Experience supporting production ramp-up, new product introduction (NPI), and manufacturing process development.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects in a fast-paced, high-growth manufacturing environment.
Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Preferred qualifications:
Aerospace, defense, automotive, or advanced manufacturing industry experience.
Experience leading greenfield factory development, factory relocation, or major manufacturing expansion projects.
Knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
Experience with automated material handling systems, robotics, AGVs/AMRs, automated storage systems, or Industry 4.0 technologies.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.
Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ERP systems, digital factory technologies, and production simulation software.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- 8+ years of experience in industrial engineering, factory design, manufacturing systems, production planning, advanced manufacturing engineering, or greenfield facility development
- Experience designing factory layouts, production lines, and scalable manufacturing systems for complex products
- Experience supporting greenfield manufacturing projects, facility expansions, or major production line launches
- Strong understanding of machining, composites, electrical assemblies, precision mechanical assemblies, and final integration
- Experience supporting production ramp-up, new product introduction, and manufacturing process development
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects in a fast-paced, high-growth manufacturing environment
- Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Aerospace, defense, automotive, or advanced manufacturing industry experience
- Experience leading greenfield factory development, factory relocation, or major manufacturing expansion projects
- Knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, or other regulated manufacturing environments
- Experience with automated material handling systems, robotics, AGVs/AMRs, automated storage systems, or Industry 4.0 technologies
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification
- Experience with MES, ERP systems, digital factory technologies, and production simulation software
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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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
