Sr. Staff Engineer, Supply Chain - Mechanical Commodities (R6524)

Shield AI•Seattle, WA

About The Position

Shield AI is seeking a highly skilled, motivated Supplier Development Engineer to lead technical development, industrialization, and performance improvement for suppliers of critical mechanical commodities, including precision-machined components, airframe structures, landing gear, composites, and propulsion or engine hardware. The role is the principal technical interface between suppliers and Shield AI’s Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Program teams. It addresses supplier challenges affecting quality, delivery, and production scale, and guides suppliers through onboarding, qualification, and production ramp-up. The position involves travel up to 50%, including regular international travel to develop and expand the supply base in Europe. The engineer will assess supplier capabilities and readiness, support supplier selection, lead industrialization and new product introductions, and guide manufacturing planning, tooling readiness, process validation, capacity planning, qualification, and ramp-up. The role includes reviewing technical documentation and manufacturing plans, coordinating First Article Inspection, and working with suppliers on design for manufacturability and assembly. The role also leads supplier audits, root-cause investigations, corrective actions, process improvement, performance monitoring, capacity and risk management, and supplier recovery efforts. It requires collaboration across technical and program teams, reporting risks and progress to leadership, and mentoring Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, and Supply Chain team members. The successful candidate will help build a capable supply base and support delivery of affordable autonomous systems at scale.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Chemical, Materials, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.
10 or more years of experience in supplier development, manufacturing/process/mechanical engineering, supplier quality, quality engineering, or supply chain in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
Track record of developing suppliers or production lines and resolving complex manufacturing, quality, capacity, or delivery problems.
Experience in at least one of precision machining, airframe or structural assemblies, metallic or composite structures, landing gear, engines or propulsion, engine mounts, complex mechanical assemblies, castings or forgings, or special-process/finished components.
Strong knowledge of CNC machining, structural fabrication, forming, welding, composites, casting, forging, heat treatment, plating, coating, finishing, and mechanical assembly.
Ability to read and interpret complex drawings, GD&T, bills of material, material specifications, and manufacturing requirements.
Hands-on experience leading structured root-cause and corrective-action investigations, such as 8D, 5-Why, and fishbone.
Experience with process audits, capability assessments, capacity analyses, and readiness reviews.
Experience with FAI and AS9102 documentation, and working knowledge of AS9100 and aerospace supplier qualification.
Knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, process capability, statistical process control, measurement systems, and inspection methods.
Proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, or similar, as well as Excel and data analysis, and PLM or ERP systems.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including explaining technical risks and recovery plans to suppliers and senior leadership.
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to travel up to 50%, domestically and internationally.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Active U.S. government SECRET clearance at hire.
Experience with aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, advanced aerospace platforms, or defense programs.
Direct supplier development experience for airframe structures, landing gear, turbine engines, propulsion, or other flight-critical mechanical hardware.
Experience developing or managing suppliers in Europe.
Experience industrializing and ramping production of newly designed aerospace components and systems.
Experience with complex machining, tight tolerances, special processes, and aerospace materials.
Metallic and composite airframe experience, including tooling, layup, curing, bonding, machining, drilling, trimming, assembly, and inspection.
Landing gear manufacturing knowledge, including forgings, machining, heat treatment, surface finishing, hydraulics, and assembly.
Engine and propulsion manufacturing knowledge, including castings, forgings, rotating components, engine mounts, fuel-system hardware, and high-temperature materials.
Experience leading supplier recovery for critical delivery, capacity, or quality issues.
Experience with lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, value-stream mapping, process capability analysis, and production-flow optimization.
Familiarity with NADCAP-controlled special processes, FAR, DFARS, ITAR, export compliance, and government contracting.
Prototype and production experience under aggressive schedule and rate requirements.
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Six Sigma Green or Black Belt, APICS/ASCM, or similar professional certification.

Responsibilities

Lead technical development and performance improvement for suppliers of precision machining, airframe structures, landing gear, composites, and propulsion or engine hardware.
Assess supplier technical capabilities, manufacturing processes, capacity, quality systems, tooling, workforce, and readiness for prototype, development, qualification, and production programs.
Conduct capability assessments, manufacturing readiness reviews, process audits, capacity analyses, and onsite evaluations.
Work with Strategic Sourcing and Engineering to select suppliers that meet technical, quality, cost, schedule, and production-rate requirements.
Identify, develop, and qualify new suppliers in Europe.
Lead industrialization, including manufacturing planning, tooling readiness, process validation, capacity planning, qualification, and production ramp-up.
Support new product introductions, prototype builds, engineering changes, and production rate increases while ensuring supplier quality and delivery requirements are met.
Review drawings, specifications, GD&T, bills of material, special-process requirements, and statements of work with suppliers.
Lead design-for-manufacturability and design-for-assembly discussions to improve producibility, reduce cost, and shorten lead times.
Review and approve process flows, manufacturing and inspection plans, control plans, PFMEAs, work instructions, and qualification documentation.
Coordinate First Article Inspection under AS9102 and resolve FAI discrepancies and manufacturing nonconformances.
Audit and embed in supplier processes to identify opportunities to improve cost, lead time, and quality.
Lead onsite root-cause investigations into defects, dimensional nonconformances, process variation, tooling issues, material shortages, and production constraints.
Use structured root-cause and corrective-action methods, including 8D, 5-Why, fishbone, and fault-tree analysis.
Apply lean manufacturing, process controls, mistake-proofing, yield improvement, cycle-time reduction, and production-flow improvements.
Provide suppliers with technical guidance on part specifications, manufacturing processes and standards, and quality measures.
Ensure compliance with AS9100, AS9102, engineering and configuration-control requirements, special-process requirements, and customer requirements.
Track and analyze supplier delivery, quality, and cost metrics, and establish corrective-action and continuous-improvement plans as needed.
Evaluate supplier capacity against current and future demand using cycle times, yield, equipment availability, staffing, tooling, and material flow.
Create and manage measurable plans for technical development, production readiness, capacity recovery, and corrective action.
Lead onsite supplier recovery and report progress, risks, and corrective actions to program and executive leadership.
Monitor performance trends to identify recurring issues, systemic risks, and improvement opportunities.
Identify and reduce supply-chain risk, including developing alternate sources for sole-source, long-lead, and flight-critical components.
Mentor Supplier Development, Supplier Quality, and Supply Chain team members.
Lead cross-functional technical teams and improvement initiatives with limited oversight.