Senior Staff Engineer, Supply Chain (R6479)

Ativesite; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI in Dallas is seeking a skilled Supplier Development Engineer to focus on composite parts. You will lead supplier development, quality improvement, and onboarding of suppliers to new designs, while driving cost and delivery improvements to scale autonomous systems.

The role involves extensive travel (up to 75%), on-site supplier audits, and close collaboration with engineering to ensure part specifications and manufacturing processes meet high standards.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in supply chain, manufacturing, or engineering roles.
• Experience with aerospace suppliers and on-site audits.
• Proficient reading drawings and GD&T.

Responsibilities

• Audit and embed core supplier processes to improve cost, lead-times, and quality.
• Conduct on-site audits to root cause supplier quality issues or performance challenges.
• Assess and improve supplier capabilities, aligning with engineering and operations priorities.
• Provide technical guidance to suppliers on part specs, manufacturing processes and quality measures.
• Track and analyze supplier performance metrics (delivery, quality, cost) and implement corrective actions.
• Identify and mitigate risks in the supply chain to ensure uninterrupted production and delivery.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) by ensuring suppliers meet requirements during development.

Skills

CAD software

Excel / data analysis

Reading drawings / GD&T

Supplier development

Root cause investigations (8D, 5 Whys)

Travel willingness

Machining / welding / forming

Tools

PLM/ERP systems

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BATaircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Supplier Development Engineer to join Shield AI, focusing on composite parts. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in supplier development, quality engineering, production process improvement, and supply chain management within the aerospace industry. This role is critical in enhancing supplier performance by solving supplier challenges that impact quality/on-time delivery/scaling, supporting the onboarding of suppliers to new designs, and delivering on our mission to deliver affordable and autonomous mass at scale. This role has extensive travel to Europe to develop and create the supply base in the region.

What you'll do:

• Process Improvement: Audit and embed into core supplier processes to understand improvement opportunities to cost, lead-times, and quality
• Quality Assurance: Conduct on-site audits to root cause supplier quality issues or performance challenges
• Supplier Development: Assess and improve supplier capabilities, ensuring alignment with engineering and operational priorities.
• Engineering Technical Support: Provide technical guidance to suppliers on part specifications, manufacturing processes and standards, and quality measures
• Supplier Performance Monitoring: Track and analyze supplier performance metrics, including delivery, quality, and cost. Implement corrective actions and continuous improvement plans as necessary.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks within the supply chain to ensure uninterrupted production and delivery of components
• New Product Introduction (NPI): Support the introduction of new products by ensuring suppliers meet all quality and delivery requirements during the development phase

Required qualifications:

• 10 plus years of supply chain, manufacturing, process, chemical & mechanical engineering
• CAD (SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, etc.)
• Excel / data analysis
• PLM or ERP systems
• Travel up to 75% including international
• Can read drawings + GD&T confidently
• Understand machining/welding/forming processes
• Led root cause investigations (8D, 5 Whys)
• Worked with suppliers or production lines

• Full-time regular employee offer package:Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
• Temporary employee offer package:Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed toequal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.