Head of Aircraft Quality; R6146

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-BAT aircraft, 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 (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Follow Shield AI on Linked In, X, Instagram, and You Tube.

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Our products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies.

We’re looking for a hands‑on quality leader to take X-BAT from early prototype builds through production launch and into rate production.

You will build the aircraft quality organization and establish the quality capability for our new Seattle‑area production facility, X-Forge 3. You’ll own product and process quality across prototype, pre‑series and production builds, ensuring that lessons from development become effective controls as the program scales.

This role owns the Quality Management System, quality engineering, inspection, nonconformance management and audit readiness for the X-BAT manufacturing operation. You’ll partner with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Production and Supply Chain to prevent defects, resolve recurring problems and deliver aircraft that meet technical, customer and applicable regulatory requirements.

We need a technically credible leader who can build practical, scalable systems, make sound decisions under schedule pressure and challenge senior stakeholders constructively while keeping execution moving.

What you’ll do:

Build quality into prototype and launch

• Lead quality planning and execution for X-BAT prototype and development builds, establishing appropriate inspection, test evidence and build records as designs evolve.
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering to identify product and process risks, define critical controls and build quality requirements into tooling, work instructions and test plans.
• Establish configuration and traceability controls with Engineering and Production, ensuring each aircraft’s build status, deviations and nonconformances are understood and documented.
• Capture lessons from build, integration and test issues, and drive their incorporation into design changes, manufacturing processes and future builds.
• Define quality readiness criteria for pre‑series builds and production launch, validating inspection methods, process controls, workforce competence and closure of significant risks.

Establish the Seattle quality operation

• Recruit, develop and lead the quality team, building the technical capability and frontline support needed as aircraft production grows.
• Establish and maintain a lean, effective QMS for X-Forge 3, aligned with Shield AI’s wider quality framework, AS9100, ISO 9001 and applicable customer requirements.
• Lead certification readiness and internal, customer and external audits, driving timely closure and sustained effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Set up receiving, in‑process and final inspection capability, including measurement equipment, calibration, training and quality records, in partnership with relevant functions.

Deliver quality at rate

• Own production quality performance, using first‑pass yield, defects, rework and escapes to focus action where it improves aircraft quality and production flow.
• Lead containment, root cause analysis and corrective action for manufacturing quality…