---
title: 'Director, Avionics Mechanical Engineering at Shield AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-avionics-mechanical-engineering-shield-ai-seattle-861cjr3np7z8'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-17'
---

# Director, Avionics Mechanical Engineering at Shield AI

- **Company:** Shield AI
- **Location:** Seattle, WA
- **Compensation:** $265k–$398k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-30
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/3360a96c-3595-4b8d-8c95-a48f26f1a051

## Job description

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.

Shield AI is looking for a Director of Avionics Mechanical Engineering to build and lead the organization responsible for all mechanical, thermal, and harnessing (EWIS) design for the X-BAT aircraft and ground equipment. You'll set the technical strategy and organizational structure, develop managers and technical leads, and be accountable for delivering flight-critical electro-mechanical hardware from concept through production. As a senior member of the avionics leadership team, you'll partner with engineering, program, and operations leaders to shape architecture, schedule, and resourcing decisions. Leaders at Shield are expected to have strong technical fundamentals and a real history of hands-on design.

## WHAT YOU’LL DO:

- Own the technical vision, strategy, and roadmap for mechanical, thermal, and EWIS engineering across X-BAT flight and ground avionics
- Build and scale a multi-team organization: hire and develop managers and technical leads, define org structure, and plan headcount to meet near- and long-term program goals
- Be accountable for your organization's delivery of complex electro-mechanical hardware that survives harsh environments, from architecture through qualification and production
- Set engineering standards, design review practices, and processes for thermal, mechanical, and harness design of flight-critical avionics
- Serve as the final technical authority on key mechanical and thermal architecture tradeoffs, and escalate risk to program leadership with clear recommendations
- Partner with electrical engineering, RF, PCB design, reliability, structures, supply chain, and manufacturing leaders to drive full-scope product delivery
- Own organizational planning inputs, including resourcing, schedule commitments, supplier and contract manufacturer strategy, and make-vs-buy decisions
- Build a culture of extreme ownership, technical rigor, and accountability
- You won't design as an individual contributor. You must have done that work earlier in your career so you can establish what "right" looks like across the organization.

## REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

- B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
- 15+ years of experience in mechanical design around electronics and electrical systems, including significant early-career, hands-on design of enclosures, thermal solutions, and harness integration
- 5+ years of people leadership, including managing managers or leading multiple engineering teams
- Proven record of building and scaling engineering teams through rapid growth
- Record of delivering complex avionics or electro-mechanical hardware from concept through production
- Deep technical fluency in avionics packaging, FEA, thermal analysis, and fatigue and lifecycle testing
- Experience setting engineering strategy, standards, and processes across an organization
- Experience managing relationships with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and key suppliers
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, agile environment with shifting priorities
- A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others
- Ability to obtain a Secret security clearance

## PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

- Experience leading hardware teams on aircraft, spacecraft, launch vehicles, or defense platforms
- Background in high-rate hardware production, such as satellites, EV power electronics, or autonomous vehicles
- Experience with DO-160, MIL-STD-810, or similar environmental qualification standards
- Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or equivalent Engineering

Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

###

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

## About Shield AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Shield AI builds AI pilots and autonomous systems for military aircraft to protect service members and civilians.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series G, venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: San Diego, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, Andrew Reiter

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Defense technology, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, aerospace
- Target customers: U.S. Department of Defense, allied nations’ military forces (B2G / Government)
- Mission or purpose statement: “Protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.”

## Products & Services
- **Hivemind**: A combat‑tested, modular autonomy stack for aircraft – self‑driving technology for drones, jets, and helicopters. Includes path‑planning, mapping, state‑estimation, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Type: Software (AI/autonomy).
- **V‑BAT**: A vertical take‑off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for persistent ISR and strike missions. Type: Hardware (drone).
- **X‑BAT**: An advanced unmanned aircraft system with extended endurance and payload capacity, built for multi‑domain operations. Type: Hardware (drone).
- **Hivemind Vision Systems**: Computer‑vision and sensor‑fusion capabilities integrated into Hivemind for GPS‑denied environments. Type: Software + sensors.
- **Hivemind Enterprise**: A deployable version of Hivemind for third‑party platforms and commercial applications. Type: Software.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company). Total funding raised: $3.6B (as of Series G in March 2026).
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$21.7M (estimated, private) | Total Funding $3.6B (including $2B Series G led by JP Morgan Chase and Advent International, March 2026).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: JP Morgan Chase, Advent International, Blackstone, Riot Ventures, SnowPoint Ventures, Disruptive (55+ investors total). Strategic partners include U.S. DoD and allied defense forces.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 68.3% YoY to 1,283 employees; 338 active job postings (+57.2% YoY); operates in 5 countries (U.S., Australia, UAE, Norway, Ukraine); recent acquisitions of Sentient Vision Systems (2024), Heron Systems, MARTIN UAV.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Combat‑proven autonomy**: Hivemind has been tested in live military operations, providing a first‑mover advantage in contested, GPS‑denied environments.
- **Full‑stack integration**: Combines software (AI pilot), hardware (V‑BAT, X‑BAT), and sensor systems, creating a tightly integrated product ecosystem.
- **Cross‑functional engineering culture**: Engineers work across AI, robotics, aerospace, and defense – not siloed – enabling rapid iteration and field deployment.
- **Top talent pipeline**: Employees drawn from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Amazon, Anduril, and other leading defense/tech firms.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale AI pilots across all domains**: Extend Hivemind from aircraft to ships, satellites, and ground vehicles (“every military asset”).
- **International expansion**: Growing presence in Australia, Europe, and Middle East via mission autonomy centers and partnerships.
- **Deepen autonomy stack**: Continued investment in reinforcement learning, simulation, and computer vision to maintain leadership in contested‑environment autonomy.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission‑driven work**: Directly contribute to protecting service members and civilians with cutting‑edge AI and robotics.
- **Cross‑functional teams**: Engineers collaborate across disciplines (AI, hardware, software, systems) on real‑world defense challenges.
- **Benefits**: Excellent medical coverage, mental health EAP, paid parental leave, pet insurance, flexible work hours, gym discounts (SD) / on‑site gym (DC), free parking, competitive compensation, 401k with match, stock benefits.
- **Work policy**: Flexible work hours; some offices (e.g., San Diego HQ, Arlington, DC) have on‑site facilities. Remote/hybrid options available depending on role.
- **Growth trajectory**: Rapidly scaling (68% headcount growth) with hundreds of open roles across engineering, operations, and program management.

## Sources
1. [shield.ai/about](https://shield.ai/about/)
2. [shield.ai/careers](https://shield.ai/careers/)
3. [LinkedIn – Shield AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai)
4. [CBInsights – Shield AI](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/shield-ai)
5. [Lever – Shield AI Jobs](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai)

## Other roles at Shield AI

- [Engineer I, Mechanical (R6302)](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-i-mechanical-r6302-shield-ai-seattle-75gdhfp3k8nt) — Seattle, WA
- [Engineer I, Mechanical Hardware Test](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-i-mechanical-hardware-test-shield-ai-seattle-009txzdn75eb) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior Staff Engineer, Structural Analysis - Ranger (R6300)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-engineer-structural-analysis-ranger-r6300-shield-ai-seattle-p24f55m9654f) — Seattle, WA
- [Staff Engineer, Fuel Systems - Ranger (R6299)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-fuel-systems-ranger-r6299-shield-ai-seattle-66cbvba47hb6) — Seattle, WA
- [Staff Engineer, Aircraft Configuration Design - Ranger (R6298)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-aircraft-configuration-design-ranger-r6298-shield-ai-seattle-942h4whh3a76) — Seattle, WA
- [Engineer II, Automated Test (R6288)](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-ii-automated-test-r6288-shield-ai-san-mateo-9zrnhj6har1p) — San Mateo, CA
- [Capture Manager - XBAT - USAF (R6205)](https://feeny.ai/job/capture-manager-xbat-usaf-r6205-shield-ai-remote-wk7cq4qwzr70)
- [Manager, Infrastructure (R6154)](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-infrastructure-r6154-shield-ai-san-mateo-ak1zaxmkmbbf) — San Mateo, CA
- [Senior Director, Deal Strategy Execution (R6259)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-deal-strategy-execution-r6259-shield-ai-washington-jjc8weakxqa7) — Washington, DC
- [Staff Engineer, Modelling and Simulation (R6248)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-modelling-and-simulation-r6248-shield-ai-san-diego-xe9yvn3mf71x) — San Diego, CA