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
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Job Description:
Shield AI is redefining autonomous aviation with cutting-edge AI and GPS/RF-denied navigation technologies. Now, we’re building our next-generation aircraft, XBAT, that will push the boundaries of innovation and performance.
As one of the first Component Engineers at Shield AI, you'll be a foundational hire building the function from the ground up — defining process, tooling, and standards, not just executing an existing playbook. You'll guide component selection and own the qualification and lifecycle management of piece-part Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) components across our aircraft PCBAs — driving decisions that reduce risk, control cost, and ensure long-term product reliability and survivability. This role sits at the intersection of engineering, supply chain and reliability.
What you'll do:
Establish and scale Component Engineering processes, tools, and standards as one of the function's first dedicated hires
Define baseline quality and certification requirements for EEE components across the XBAT aircraft
Qualify and up-screen EEE components for use in aerospace applications, driving environmental and bench-top testing.
Own component data and governance in PLM and the ECAD part library, including lifecycle status and approved vendor list
Contribute to component failure analysis and root cause efforts
Monitor and assess PCNs and lifecycle changes (NRND/EOL), and drive mitigation actions
Support supply chain with alternate part evaluations and second-sourcing strategies
Engage directly with suppliers to resolve technical questions
Required qualifications:
B.S. in an engineering, physics or materials science
5+ years of relevant experience
Deep knowledge of EEE components
Understanding of Product Lifecycle Management, ECAD tools and structured component libraries
Strong judgment in balancing performance, cost and supply chain risk
Demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions and influence design decisions across engineering, supply chain, and program teams — including in ambiguous, fast-moving environments without an established playbook
Preferred qualifications:
Experience building or scaling a component engineering function in a startup or fast-growth environment
Familiar with industry-standard component qualification process (AEC-Q, NASA, JEDEC, MIL, etc)
Knowledge of electrical component manufacturing processes and common failure modes
Experience writing specifications/standards for internal company distribution