Principal Aerospace TPM: Defense Autonomy & Flight Systems

Shield

San Diego (CA)

On-site

USD 180,000 - 260,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Job summary

Shield in San Diego seeks a senior principal TPM to lead integrated execution for the U.S. Air Force MMA program, translating customer objectives into technical plans across concept work, prototyping, flight test, and production readiness.

The role requires coordinating multiple engineering disciplines and ensuring milestones align with cost, reusability, and manufacturability targets. You will drive program baselines, balance trade-offs, and steer cross-functional teams toward on-time delivery

Qualifications

Principal-level program leadership experience on complex aerospace or autonomous systems.
Ability to manage customer commitments, partner dependencies, schedule, cost, and technical risk.
Enough engineering depth to challenge assumptions and resolve cross-functional trade-offs.
Clear executive communication on milestone confidence, risk, and program health.

Responsibilities

Establish the program baseline across engineering deliverables, hardware availability, integration, test, suppliers, and customer milestones.
Translate evolving customer needs into scope, priorities, and verification milestones.
Coordinate air vehicle, propulsion, avionics, flight controls, autonomy, mission systems, and ground systems work.
Keep cost, reuse, modularity, manufacturing readiness, and sustainment visible in execution decisions.