Director, Mechanical Systems X-BAT

About the role

Shield AI develops autonomy software and advanced aircraft for U.S. and allied forces. It is seeking a Director of X-BAT Mechanical Systems to lead engineering managers and senior technical leaders responsible for mechanical systems and mechanical test on X-BAT, while overseeing Mechanical Engineering and Air Vehicle Systems across its Group 5 aircraft programs. The role covers landing gear, wing fold, doors, flight control actuation, hydraulics, environmental control and thermal management.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop the mechanical systems and mechanical test organization, and provide leadership across Mechanical Engineering and Air Vehicle Systems for the Group 5 portfolio.
• Define organizational structure, ownership and decision authority, and align talent and resources with aircraft and program priorities.
• Recruit, coach and develop engineering managers and senior technical leaders, building leadership capacity and succession capability.
• Set technical strategy, capability roadmaps and priorities for the listed mechanical systems areas.
• Lead aircraft-level architecture and trade studies balancing performance, reliability, safety, mass, power, volume, maintainability, cost and schedule.
• Resolve interfaces, reconcile competing requirements, manage dependencies and retire technical risks with adjacent engineering organizations.
• Oversee execution from requirements and design through hardware development, integration, qualification, ground test and flight readiness.
• Set expectations for design reviews, verification, risk management and configuration control.
• Build mechanical test capability, including test strategy, facilities, fixtures, instrumentation, procedures and data analysis.
• Guide hardware development and supplier strategy, holding suppliers and manufacturers accountable for quality and execution.
• Work with manufacturing, ground test and flight test leadership to deliver integrated systems for aircraft evaluation.
• Report technical direction, progress, risks, decisions and resource needs to executive leadership, program stakeholders and customers.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in aerospace mechanical systems, air vehicle systems or comparable complex hardware development.
• Substantial experience managing engineering managers and senior technical leaders in a multidisciplinary engineering organization.
• Broad technical credibility across aircraft mechanical systems, with significant expertise in landing gear, actuation, mechanisms, environmental control or thermal management.
• Demonstrated success building engineering organizations, hiring and developing leaders, and maintaining high technical standards.
• Experience guiding teams through hardware development, systems integration, verification, supplier execution, manufacturing and flight test.
• Ability to make aircraft-level tradeoffs, manage dependencies across programs and communicate clearly with engineering, program leadership and external stakeholders.
• U.S. citizenship.

Preferred qualifications

• Leadership experience across multiple mechanical engineering departments or a broad air vehicle systems portfolio.
• Development experience on UAVs, autonomous aircraft, fighters or other high-performance aerospace programs.
• Experience scaling engineering organizations, mechanical test facilities and development processes in a rapid R&D or production environment.
• Familiarity with aircraft airworthiness, qualification and verification practices, including MIL-HDBK-516 and MIL-STD-810.
• Experience taking aircraft hardware through prototype build, integration, ground test, flight test and transition to production.
• Advanced degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Active Secret or higher security clearance.