Sr Manager, Aerostructures Design

Shield AI•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company founded in 2015 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. The Sr Manager of Aerostructures Design for X-BAT role requires a technically elite aerospace leader who thrives in fast-moving environments, can build and scale high-performing engineering organizations, and is energized by solving complex problems that directly impact national security. Engineers 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. X-BAT represents the next generation of autonomous airpower: a runway-independent, AI-piloted aircraft designed to execute missions in highly contested environments. Powered by Hivemind, Shield AI’s combat-proven autonomy stack, X-BAT combines long-range performance, survivability, and autonomous mission execution into a scalable operational platform.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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