Air Vehicle Technical Lead - Equity & Impact

Shield AI; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 212,000 - 318,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in Dallas is seeking an Air Vehicle Lead to guide the design, development, and maturation of a next-generation autonomous aircraft. You will own the technical integrity of the air vehicle and lead the multidisciplinary engineering effort from requirements through production.

This hands-on leadership role spans aerodynamics, flight sciences, structures, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing. You will drive first-principles trades, mentor engineers, manage technical risk, and ensure

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field; Master's preferred.
• 15+ years of relevant aircraft development experience with technical leadership on complex programs.
• Experience leading air vehicle or major aircraft system through multiple development phases.
• Broad understanding across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, flight controls, avionics, and integration.
• Hands-on technical leader with ability to make decisions with incomplete information.
• Ability to obtain security clearance for the program.

Responsibilities

• Own the Air Vehicle: lead architecture, performance, integration, and design integrity throughout development.
• Lead multidisciplinary engineering across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, and controls.
• Drive system-level trades on performance, weight, range, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Guide design execution from requirements to production, resolving issues to protect schedule.
• Stay hands-on: participate in reviews, problem solving, testing, and critical design decisions.
• Own technical risk: balance analysis, test, schedule, and speed.
• Build-Test-Learn: use prototypes and flight data to reduce risk.
• Drive integration across interfaces and ensure producibility and production readiness.
• Lead suppliers and partners to meet aircraft-level requirements and program objectives.
• Set engineering standards with first-principles thinking and accountability.

Skills

Air vehicle leadership

Multidisciplinary engineering

System integration

Trade studies

Hands-on leadership

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace/Mechanical

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Shield AI in Dallas is seeking an Air Vehicle Lead to guide the design, development, and maturation of a next-generation autonomous aircraft. You will own the technical integrity of the air vehicle and lead the multidisciplinary engineering effort from requirements through production.

This hands-on leadership role spans aerodynamics, flight sciences, structures, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing. You will drive first-principles trades, mentor engineers, manage technical risk, and ensure