--- title: 'Senior V-BAT Air Vehicle Operator, Field Integration and Test (R5130) at Shield AI' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-v-bat-air-vehicle-operator-field-integration-and-test-r5130-shield-ai-8ychv8kkv7qh' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-12' --- # Senior V-BAT Air Vehicle Operator, Field Integration and Test (R5130) at Shield AI - **Company:** Shield AI - **Location:** Dallas, TX - **Compensation:** $100k–$150k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-09-11 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/353b31f2-f075-4503-806a-151a362ee7a2 ## 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. What you'll do: - Field integration support: Supports site surveys, installations, calibrations, aircraft operational checks, and customer handoff activities while maintaining safe and effective V-BAT operations - Operational leadership: Leads flight operations and field events with autonomy, sound judgment, and disciplined risk management - Systems troubleshooting: Diagnoses and resolves issues across aircraft, payloads, ground systems, datalinks, LAN-based networks, MANET networks, RF communications, SATCOM, and support equipment in field conditions - Cross-functional coordination: Works directly with FIT, Deployment Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Training, Customer Operations, and customers to close issues and drive operational readiness - Instructor and mentorship capability: Trains, evaluates, and develops operators while reinforcing standards, TTPs, checklist discipline, and safe operating practices Required Qualifications: - Demonstrated instructor experience (manned or unmanned aviation) - FAA Private Pilot License (PPL) - FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate - Ability to obtain and maintain an FAA Class II Medical Certificate - Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret DoD security clearance - Ability to pass background check, drug screening, and customer-required medical/dental screenings - Willingness to travel on short notice 50 to 75 percent in support of CONUS and OCONUS site surveys, installs, calibrations, flight operations, customer events, and deployment support - Ability to climb ship masts, vertical ladders, and rooftop access points; work in confined or tight areas; and lift and carry 50 pounds or more in land-based and maritime environments - Proven ability to lead and operate independently in small teams, including austere, shipboard, expeditionary, and high-tempo environments - Strong aviation judgment, decision-making, crew coordination, and risk management skills - Ability to troubleshoot aircraft, payload, ground control, communications, network, and support equipment issues at the field level Preferred Qualifications: - FAA Instrument Rating and/or Commercial Pilot License - ## Experience operating as aircrew on manned aircraft - Experience with MANET, MPU5, RF communications, Starlink, Starshield, and SATCOM integration or setup - Prior military service, especially with overseas, maritime, or deployed operations - Maritime or shipboard UAS operational experience - Previous experience as a Site Lead, Crew Lead, Instructor Operator, or aviation operations lead - Experience supporting system installation, calibration, test events, or field acceptance activities - Experience troubleshooting RF, C2, SATCOM, MANET, Starlink, Starshield, ISR payload, or ground control system issues 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 - [Staff Platform Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-platform-engineer-shield-ai-san-diego-t739q0cnehtg) — San Diego, CA - [Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (R5620)](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineer-fluid-thermal-systems-r5620-shield-ai-seattle-jzpbwfsaek36) — Seattle, WA - [Director, Mission Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/director-mission-systems-shield-ai-washington-96nmd081cj08) — Washington, DC - [Staff Engineer, Safety - X-BAT (R5844)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-safety-x-bat-r5844-shield-ai-seattle-qmh74thwt7xs) — Seattle, WA - [Senior Production Planner, Development Programs (R5277)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-production-planner-development-programs-r5277-shield-ai-seattle-nj57x3fgq8b7) — Seattle, WA - [Mission Systems Software Engineer (R5888)](https://feeny.ai/job/mission-systems-software-engineer-r5888-shield-ai-seattle-yw43sjwwgsn0) — Seattle, WA - [Field Marketing Manager, India](https://feeny.ai/job/field-marketing-manager-india-shield-ai-delhi-4y6c5baq31qg) — Delhi, India - [Senior Staff Engineer, Mission Architect (R5876)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-engineer-mission-architect-r5876-shield-ai-washington-5ftkg2h8j234) — Washington, DC - [Engineer II, Future Concepts (R5910)](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-ii-future-concepts-r5910-shield-ai-washington-p66bm4ktv41m) — Washington, DC - [Staff Engineer, Aircraft Configuration Design (R5830)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-aircraft-configuration-design-r5830-shield-ai-san-diego-5vtjqd85pzqb) — San Diego, CA