Aviation Safety Officer; R4177

Job Description

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture‑backed deep‑tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V‑BAT and X‑BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia‑Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. Visit our website.

Shield AI’s Aviation Safety Officer for Next Generation Aircraft will ensure a world‑class aviation safety program is established, maintained, and prioritized above all other mission requirements. You will be responsible for leading incident investigations, developing safety frameworks, and producing formal documentation for both internal and government stakeholders—aligned with industry standards, military specifications, and civil aviation best practices.

In this highly visible and cross‑functional role, you’ll collaborate closely with engineering, test, flight operations, and program leadership to embed safety into every stage of product development and flight operations.

• Supervise the Aviation Safety Program for all Aircraft Division products and flight test programs.
• Ensure safety is prioritized during product design, flight readiness reviews, mission planning, and operational execution.
• Lead the system safety program per MIL‑STD‑882, SAE ARP
  4761, and relevant civil standards.
• Own the System Safety Program Plan (SSPP), hazard tracking system, safety‑critical function/item lists, and all related analyses and reports.
• Oversee system safety requirements definition, verification, and validation from aircraft level down to configuration item level.
• Manage hazard identification, risk assessment, mitigation planning, and closure tracking for all safety‑related issues.
• Lead mishap and incident investigations, including root cause analysis, corrective actions, and reporting to stakeholders.
• Assess the safety implications of test findings, defects, and workarounds, ensuring proper risk disposition.
• Interface with government regulators and customers to ensure regulatory and contractual compliance.
• Drive a culture of proactive safety, integrating lessons learned into design, training, and operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aviation Safety, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in aviation system safety, flight test safety, or airworthiness roles.
• Hands‑on experience implementing safety programs in accordance with MIL‑STD‑882, SAE ARP
  4761, and/or ARP
  4754A.
• Experience planning and executing developmental flight test programs for manned or unmanned systems.
• Demonstrated success leading incident/mishap investigations, authoring formal reports, and briefing findings to leadership and customers.
• In‑depth understanding of safety risk management, hazard analysis, and system‑level safety assessments.
• Proven ability to collaborate with engineering, test, and operations teams in high‑tempo aerospace environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing for government and regulatory bodies.

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Safety Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified System Safety Professional (CSSP), or Aircraft Accident Investigator certification.
• Hands‑on experience developing and testing safety‑critical systems or software.
• Experience with military type certification or airworthiness qualification processes.
• Familiarity with FAA, DoW, or EASA safety and airworthiness frameworks.
• Background in AI/autonomy safety, UAV flight testing, or hybrid flight control systems.
• Mishap investigation leadership experience, ideally under AFMAN 91‑223, NAVSAFECOM, or similar standards.
• Military experience as a pilot, maintainer, or aviation safety officer.
• Working knowledge of export control (ITAR/EAR) and data protection requirements in aerospace programs.
• Experience supporting or leading Safety Review Boards (SRBs) or Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs).

$190,000 -…