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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
We are seeking a highly cross-functional Staff Integration Advance Manufacturing Engineer to lead final system integration and production readiness activities for complex aerospace and defense platforms. This role is responsible for ensuring successful integration of electrical, mechanical, propulsion, and mission systems into complete operational vehicles and assemblies.
The ideal candidate has broad multidisciplinary manufacturing experience and thrives in highly integrated production environments.
What you'll do:
Lead manufacturing integration activities across electrical, mechanical, propulsion, and vehicle systems
Develop and optimize final assembly and integration processes
Coordinate system-level builds, integration sequencing, and production flow planning
Partner with design engineering to improve manufacturability, reliability, testability, and producibility
Drive root cause investigations and corrective actions for integration and assembly issues
Develop work instructions, quality standards, and inspection methods
Lead DFM/DFA reviews and transition new products into manufacturing
Support system integration, validation, and troubleshooting activities
Define manufacturing standards, process controls, and acceptance criteria
Support failure analysis and reliability improvement initiatives
Collaborate with production, quality, supply chain, and test engineering teams
Mentor junior manufacturing engineers
Tools & skills:
MES & QMS systems,
3DEXPERIENCE / Teamcenter (PLM) systems
Supplier manufacturing processes
5S/visual management
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Required qualifications:
7+ years of manufacturing engineering or systems integration experience
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field
Experience in prototype manufacturing in a startup or rapid-growth environment.
Experience with:
Electrical and mechanical integration
Production operations
Manufacturing process development
DFM/DFA principles
Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and adapt to changing priorities.
Knowledge of manufacturing process development and production scaling
Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles
Experience with root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies
Preferred qualifications;
Aerospace or defense integration experience
Experience supporting autonomous systems, UAVs, or advanced mobility platforms
Familiarity with low-rate initial production (LRIP) and production scaling
Experience with factory integration and manufacturing line design
Experience with ERP/MES systems and manufacturing data analysis
Strong project management skills, including experience managing multiple priorities and deadlines
Knowledge of quality standards, such as AS9100 or ISO 9001
Proficiency in CAD software
