Chief Engineer, Air Vehicle Lead - Ranger

The role

You will be the senior technical leader for the air vehicle of the Air Force Ranger program. You will own the aircraft's design, development, integration and maturation from requirements through flight test and production.

What you will do

• Own the aircraft's overall vehicle architecture, technical performance, integration and design integrity
• Lead multidisciplinary engineering across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, flight controls and other disciplines
• Lead system-level engineering trades across performance, weight, range, payload, cost and risk
• Drive design execution from requirements through ground test and flight test
• Stay hands-on in design reviews, problem solving, root-cause investigations and test activities
• Identify and close the technical risks most likely to prevent mission success
• Drive system interface integration
• Partner with manufacturing, supply chain and quality to move the aircraft into production
• Provide technical leadership for critical suppliers and external systems
• Mentor engineers and raise the technical capability of the program

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• 15+ years of relevant aircraft development experience, including significant technical leadership on complex aerospace programs
• Experience leading an air vehicle or major aircraft system through multiple development phases
• Broad understanding of aircraft development and ability to make informed trades across multiple disciplines
• Proven ability to work as a hands-on technical leader while keeping a system-level view
• Record of making difficult technical decisions with incomplete information
• Understanding of aircraft design principles, system integration, verification and validation
• Experience partnering with manufacturing and suppliers to move hardware into production
• Track record of owning complex development efforts and delivering hardware
• Ability to obtain and maintain the security clearance required for the program
• A record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, and treating others with kindness and respect

Nice to have

• Master's degree or higher

About the company

Shield AI is hiring for a new Air Force Ranger program and describes its culture as mission-driven and values-focused. The posting describes the team as innovative and focused on next-generation autonomous aircraft.