Senior Component Engineer

Shield AI•San Diego, CA

19h

About The Position

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 offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. Shield AI is redefining autonomous aviation with cutting-edge AI and GPS/RF-denied navigation technologies, and is building its next-generation aircraft, XBAT. As a Component Engineer at Shield AI, you’ll own the selection, qualification, and lifecycle management of electronic components across their products. This role drives component decisions to reduce risk, control cost, and ensure long-term product reliability and survivability, sitting at the intersection of engineering, supply chain, and reliability.

Requirements

B.S. in an engineering field.
5+ years of relevant experience
Understanding of Product Lifecycle Management (Arena, Teamcenter), ECAD tools (Altium) and structured component libraries
Strong judgment in balancing performance, cost and supply chain risk
Demonstrated track record of ownership, high standards, and effective collaboration

Nice To Haves

Degree in electrical engineering or computer science
Familiar with industry-standard component qualification process (AEC-Q, NASA, JEDEC, MIL, etc)
Knowledge of electrical component manufacturing processes and common failure modes.
Proficiency in Python/SQL
Experience writing specifications/standards for internal company distribution

Responsibilities

Own component data and governance in PLM (part creation, attributes, AML/AVL, lifecycle states)
Review and approve new component requests
Define baseline quality requirements for COTS components and enforce them through design BOM reviews
Monitor and assess PCNs and lifecycle changes (NRND/EOL), and drive mitigation actions through Engineering Change Orders (ECOs)
Partner with Electrical Engineering to select components that meet performance, cost, and availability targets
Build and maintain preferred parts lists and approved vendor lists (AVL)
Support supply chain with alternate part evaluations and second-sourcing strategies
Engage directly with suppliers to resolve technical questions