Shield AI
Head of Aircraft Production (R6147)
$230K–$340K
Seattle, Washington · On-site · Director · Full-time · Posted Sep 29, 2026
- Experience
- 10+ years in aerospace or comparable advanced manufacturing, including at least 5 years leading production teams.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing or a related technical field.
About the job
Leads X-BAT prototype builds, establishes the Seattle-area manufacturing facility, and scales aircraft production from launch through sustained rate production.
What you'll do
- Lead prototype, development, and pre-series builds, carrying build lessons into repeatable production processes.
- Set up X-Forge 3, build and develop the production organization, and establish factory operating routines and launch readiness.
- Own production performance against safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets, improving throughput and resolving production issues.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing or a related technical field.
- 10+ years of experience in aerospace or comparable advanced manufacturing, including at least 5 years leading production teams.
- Experience leading prototype or new product introduction builds and carrying a product into sustained production.
- Experience building and scaling manufacturing operations, including workforce development, capacity planning and production systems.
Nice to have
- Direct experience taking a new aircraft program from prototype through initial and rate production.
- Experience establishing a new manufacturing facility or transferring production between sites.
Pay
USD 230,000–340,000 (per-year-salary); base salary
Tools
AS9100, Lean
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative