Technical Writer (R5661)

The role

This role supports the V-BAT autonomous aircraft program by writing and maintaining technical documentation. The writer works with engineers and flight test teams to turn complex aerospace, avionics and autonomy systems into clear manuals, bulletins and procedures.

What you will do

• Work with aerospace, software and systems engineers on accurate technical documentation for advanced aircraft systems.
• Manage several documentation efforts across development, flight test and operations.
• Turn complex engineering concepts into clear guidance for operators, maintainers and internal teams.
• Review and edit technical content for accuracy, clarity and consistency.
• Research engineering artifacts such as architectures, specifications, interface control documents and test procedures.
• Gather and combine technical input from flight test, hardware, software and operations teams.
• Develop and maintain service bulletins, operating procedures, maintenance manuals, troubleshooting guides and training materials.
• Create and manage diagrams, workflows and illustrations.
• Find gaps or conflicts in technical information and work with engineering to resolve them.
• Keep documentation standards, templates and version control up to date.

Required qualifications

• 3 to 10 years of technical writing or editing experience, preferably in aerospace, defense or complex engineering.
• Bachelor's degree in Technical Writing, Engineering, English or a related field.
• Experience developing technical documentation for aircraft systems or complex hardware/software platforms.
• Proven ability to work directly with engineers and subject matter experts.
• Strong understanding of structured documentation practices and lifecycle documentation management.
• Exceptional writing, editing and organizational skills.
• Ability to turn complex system behavior into concise, user-focused documentation.
• High attention to detail across large documentation sets.
• Self-sufficient, proactive, able to manage competing priorities under tight timelines.
• Ability to spot missing, ambiguous or conflicting technical information.
• Comfortable working across distributed teams and time zones.
• Interest in a fast-moving, non-traditional defense and aerospace environment.

Nice to have

• Experience with advanced aircraft systems, UAVs, autonomy, avionics or mission systems documentation.
• Familiarity with DoD technical manual standards (e.g., MIL-STD, S1000D or service-specific formats).
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Adobe FrameMaker or XML-based authoring tools.
• Background in flight test documentation or operational procedure development.
• Defense industry or aerospace program experience.
• Master's degree in English, Technical Communication or a related discipline.
• Project management experience on complex technical programs.
• Experience using AI-assisted tools to improve documentation workflows.

Benefits

• Bonus for full-time regular employees.
• Benefits for full-time regular employees.
• Equity for full-time regular employees.
• Temporary benefits package for temporary employees, applicable after 60 days of employment.

Before you apply

• All offers are contingent on a cleared background check and possible reference check.
• Pay depends on factors such as skill set, experience, licenses and certifications, and work location.

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.