Shield AI is seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead execution within the XBAT organization. This role is responsible for driving cross-functional integration, technical execution, demonstration readiness, and program coordination across a fast-paced autonomous aircraft development effort.
This position is intentionally geared toward highly technical leaders who bring deep aerospace systems experience and are capable of operating effectively across flight sciences, vehicle integration, aerostructures, autonomy, test, and operations teams. The ideal candidate combines strong engineering intuition with disciplined program execution and thrives in environments where rapid iteration, systems integration, and flight demonstration timelines intersect.
This role will serve as a key integrator across engineering and program functions, helping align technical execution with demonstration objectives, risk reduction activities, and operational milestones.
What you'll do:
- Lead day-to-day execution of the Hopper Demonstration Program across engineering, integration, flight test, and operations stakeholders
- Drive integrated program planning, technical coordination, and execution tracking across multiple subsystem teams
- Coordinate activities spanning flight controls, aero/performance, aerostructures, avionics, autonomy, software, and vehicle integration
- Partner closely with engineering leads to identify technical risks, integration gaps, and critical path dependencies
- Support development and execution of demonstration campaigns, flight readiness activities, and test event planning
- Facilitate technical reviews, milestone assessments, configuration reviews, and executive program updates
- Drive cross-functional alignment between design, manufacturing, integration, test, and operational teams
- Help mature systems integration processes, demonstration workflows, and execution rigor across the program
- Track and communicate program status, technical risks, mitigation plans, and schedule impacts to leadership
- Support rapid problem solving and decision-making in dynamic development and flight test environments
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 8+ years of experience in aerospace, unmanned systems, autonomous systems, or advanced aircraft development programs
- Strong technical background in one or more of the following:
- Flight controls
- Aerodynamics / flight sciences
- Vehicle integration
- Systems engineering
- Aerostructures
- Flight test
- Experience working on complex integrated aerospace systems or unmanned aircraft platforms
- Demonstrated experience coordinating cross-functional technical teams and driving execution across subsystem boundaries
- Strong understanding of systems integration, technical risk management, and development lifecycle execution
- Ability to communicate effectively with highly technical engineering teams as well as executive leadership
- Strong organizational, leadership, and decision-making skills
- U.S. Person status required due to export control regulations
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience supporting aircraft demonstration programs or rapid prototyping efforts
- Prior experience in unmanned systems, autonomy, VTOL, or advanced mobility platforms
- Experience operating in fast-paced development or flight test organizations
- Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), requirements management, or configuration management processes
- Experience with integrated flight test planning and execution
- Prior technical leadership transitioning into program management or technical program leadership roles
- Active U.S. security clearance
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- 8+ years of experience in aerospace, unmanned systems, autonomous systems, or advanced aircraft development programs
- Technical background in flight controls, aerodynamics or flight sciences, vehicle integration, systems engineering, aerostructures, or flight test
- Experience working on complex integrated aerospace systems or unmanned aircraft platforms
- Experience coordinating cross-functional technical teams and driving execution across subsystem boundaries
- Understanding of systems integration, technical risk management, and development lifecycle execution
- Ability to communicate effectively with technical engineering teams and executive leadership
- Strong organizational, leadership, and decision-making skills
- U.S. Person status due to export control regulations
- Experience supporting aircraft demonstration programs or rapid prototyping efforts
- Experience in unmanned systems, autonomy, VTOL, or advanced mobility platforms
- Experience in fast-paced development or flight test organizations
- Familiarity with MBSE, requirements management, or configuration management processes
- Experience with integrated flight test planning and execution
- Prior technical leadership transitioning into program management or technical program leadership
- Active U.S. security clearance
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.
