Sr Manager, Aerostructures Design

Founded in 2015, 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 and V‑BAT and X‑BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia‑Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.

Our technology operates in complex, contested environments where GPS and communications may be denied, degraded, or unavailable.

We build the world’s best AI pilot and the aircraft that enable autonomy ineers at Shield AI do not work in silos — they work shoulder‑to‑shoulder across disciplines to rapidly move from concept to flight‑ready systems deployed in the real world.

The Sr Manager of Aerostructures Design for X‑BAT will lead the aerostructures design organization, drive development of lightweight, manufacturable, survivable aircraft structures, partner closely with cross‑functional teams, establish engineering processes, oversee development and validation, build and mentor a world‑class team, support transition to production, drive root‑cause analysis, and present technical reviews to executive leadership.

• Lead the aerostructures design organization for the X‑BAT program.
• Drive development of lightweight, manufacturable, survivable aircraft structures optimized for autonomous combat aircraft operations.
• Partner closely with flight sciences, propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, autonomy, flight test, and supply chain teams to deliver integrated aircraft solutions.
• Establish engineering processes, design standards, configuration management, and structural development roadmaps across the program lifecycle.
• Oversee development and validation of composite and metallic airframe structures, including primary load‑bearing assemblies.
• Build and mentor a world‑class aerostructures engineering team capable of rapid execution and technical excellence.
• Support transition from development programs into scalable production environments.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective action efforts for structural, manufacturing, and flight‑test findings.
• Present technical reviews, program risks, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and external stakeholders.

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 12+ years of aerospace structural engineering experience, including leadership responsibility on advanced aircraft programs.
• Deep expertise in aircraft primary structures, composites, metallic design, structural analysis, and integration.
• Experience leading teams through full aircraft development cycles from conceptual design through flight test and production.
• Strong understanding of aircraft loads, stress analysis, fatigue, durability, and structural substantiation methodologies.
• Experience collaborating across highly integrated aerospace development organizations.
• Proven ability to recruit, develop, and scale high‑performing engineering teams.
• Experience operating in fast‑paced development environments with aggressive technical schedules.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

• Advanced degree in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with autonomous aircraft, tactical aviation, unmanned systems, or defense aerospace platforms.
• Expertise in composite airframe manufacturing and high‑rate production methodologies.
• Background supporting low observable, survivability, or expeditionary aircraft design considerations.
• Familiarity with military airworthiness standards and defense acquisition environments.
• Experience supporting prototype‑to‑production transitions in venture‑backed or high‑growth aerospace organizations.

$210,000 - $320,000 a year.

Full‑time regular employee offer package:
Pay within the listed range + Bonus + Benefits + Equity.

Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within the listed range + 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…