What you'll do:
- Own manufacturing program outcomes end-to-end. Build and drive the integrated manufacturing program plan (WBS/IMS), manage critical path and cross-functional dependencies, and take full accountability for hitting build and ramp milestones—not just reporting status.
- Operate as the execution engine across functions. Lead day-to-day coordination across Production, Manufacturing Engineering, MP&L, Supply Chain, Quality, Test, Facilities, Construction, and Engineering aligning priorities, resolving friction, and ensuring no workstream drifts.
- Move fast to unblock reality. Identify bottlenecks early (design maturity, supplier lead times, tooling delays, facility readiness, material constraints) and aggressively drive mitigation plans to closure. Escalate when necessary but default to solving laterally and decisively.
- Translate engineering intent into manufacturing action. Turn evolving product development plans and engineering releases into structured readiness gates, executable build plans, and clearly defined entry/exit criteria from prototype through pilot and production ramp.
- Drive manufacturing readiness with urgency. Ensure tooling, equipment, routings, work instructions, materials, inspection/test capability, facilities, and workforce readiness are aligned ahead of builds closing gaps before they impact the floor.
- Own change impact management. Coordinate ECR/ECO cut-ins, retrofit strategies, and configuration alignment to protect schedule, build integrity, and production flow.
- Run a disciplined operating cadence. Lead weekly cross-functional reviews, maintain risk and issue registers, drive action tracking with clear owners and deadlines, and provide crisp executive updates that highlight tradeoffs and required decisions.
- Integrate facilities and equipment milestones. Embed construction, utilities, equipment installation, and commissioning into the program plan ensuring space and infrastructure readiness never become the critical path surprise.
- Stay close to the floor. Be present where execution happens rapidly translating real-world constraints into plan updates and actionable cross-functional decisions.
- Continuously raise the bar. Improve program management standards, tools, readiness frameworks, and execution rhythms to make future manufacturing programs faster, more predictable, and more scalable.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical / aerospace Engineering, or related field.
- Significant experience in aerospace or advanced manufacturing, with 5+ years in program leadership roles.
- Proven success in facility or production program setup, especially in a startup or high-growth environment.
- Strong background in program execution and operational planning across engineering and manufacturing domains.
Preferred qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Systems, or Operations Management.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams in aerospace or defense industries.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver production facilities and new program manufacturing readiness on aggressive timelines.
- Familiarity with new product introduction (NPI) and manufacturing systems planning at scale.
- Greenfield facility development experience.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field
- 5+ years in program leadership roles in aerospace or advanced manufacturing
- Proven success in facility or production program setup, especially in startup or high-growth environments
- Strong background in program execution and operational planning across engineering and manufacturing domains
- Master's degree in Engineering, Industrial Systems, or Operations Management
- Experience leading cross-functional teams in aerospace or defense industries
- Demonstrated ability to deliver production facilities and manufacturing readiness on aggressive timelines
- Familiarity with new product introduction (NPI) and manufacturing systems planning at scale
- Greenfield facility development experience
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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Shield AI Teams
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
