Director, Mission Effectiveness

InvestedintheMission; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 225,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in San Diego, CA seeks an engineering leader to head a multidisciplinary organization delivering autonomous aircraft capabilities for DoD programs. You will set strategy, roadmaps, and priorities across mission systems, survivability, sensors, and communications.

You will drive architecture, modeling, testing, certification, and fielding, mentor senior technical leaders, engage DoD customers and stakeholders, and ensure compliance with safety and security requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, math or related field.
• 10+ years experience in complex military/autonomous aerospace programs.
• Experience leading a multidisciplinary engineering org with senior leaders.
• Broad knowledge across mission systems, simulations, survivability, avionics and sensors.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization across mission systems, survivability, sensors, and communications.
• Set priorities, objectives and rhythms for effective execution.
• Oversee architecture, modeling, testing, and fielding of aircraft capabilities.
• Engage DoD customers and stakeholders to shape requirements and communicate value.
• Recruit, coach and develop senior technical leaders and ensure regulatory compliance.

Skills

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/science/mathematics

Master’s or PhD in aerospace/systems/electrical engineering

Tools

SysML

Model-based systems engineering

DoD processes

Job description

Job Description Are you a mission-driven engineering leader passionate about developing advanced autonomous aircraft? Do you want to help deliver capabilities that provide decisive advantage in contested environments? Shield AI may be the place for you.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization spanning operational analysis, survivability, communications, and integrated mission systems.
• Establish clear priorities, accountability, organizational objectives, and operating rhythms that enable teams to execute effectively.
  Define technical strategy, capability roadmaps, and investment priorities aligned with aircraft program objectives, customer requirements, and broader business goals.
• Oversee the development of integrated mission-system architectures encompassing sensors, payloads, avionics, weapons, secure communications, autonomy, and aircraft survivability.
• Direct modeling, simulation, wargaming, and system-of-systems analysis to evaluate mission effectiveness, operational performance, emerging threats, and aircraft design alternatives.
• Lead cross-functional trade studies that balance mission capability, survivability, technical risk, cost, schedule, manufacturability, and program maturity.
• Ensure disciplined execution from requirements definition and architecture development through hardware-in-the-loop testing, signature validation, flight test, certification, and fielding.
• Partner with engineering, product, program management, business development, and aircraft leadership to deliver integrated and mission-relevant capabilities.
• Engage DoD customers, operators, suppliers, and government stakeholders to shape requirements, refine concepts of operations, support key decisions, and communicate the operational value of Shield AI’s solutions.
• Recruit, coach, and develop people managers and senior technical leaders while building organizational depth and succession capability.
• Ensure compliance with applicable system-safety, airworthiness, cybersecurity, security, and certification requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, mathematics, or another relevant technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience supporting complex military aircraft, autonomous systems, or other aerospace and defense programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing a multidisciplinary engineering organization that includes people managers and senior technical leaders.
• Broad working knowledge across multiple relevant disciplines, including mission systems, operational analysis, modeling and simulation, survivability, secure communications, avionics, sensors, payloads, or weapons integration.
• Experience establishing organizational and technical strategies while managing technical, programmatic, and organizational risk.
• Proven ability to balance mission performance and engineering requirements with cost, schedule, product maturity, and business priorities.
• Experience overseeing complex aircraft capabilities across the product lifecycle—from requirements and architecture through integration, test, certification, fielding, and sustainment.
• Executive-level communication skills with demonstrated success influencing customers, operators, business leaders, engineering teams, and government stakeholders.
  U.S. citizenship with an active Secret security clearance and the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret clearance and required SAP/SAR accesses.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Leadership experience on military UAS, advanced autonomous aircraft, collaborative combat aircraft, or fifth-generation fighter programs involving integrated mission systems and survivability.
• Demonstrated success advancing a product or major capability from customer shaping and early concept development through acquisition, integration, flight test, validation, and tactical deployment.
• Experience overseeing multi-domain operational analysis, CONOPS development, force-on-force modeling, threat assessment, or survivability analysis in contested environments.
• Working knowledge of model-based systems engineering and SysML, DoD acquisition and JCIDS processes, electronic warfare, low-observable communications, and AI-enabled sensors or payloads.
• Experience developing modular, open-system mission architectures that support rapid capability insertion and third-party payload integration.
• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility and experience supporting classified DoD or Intelligence Community programs.

225000 - 340000 USD a year