Shield AI
Senior V-BAT Air Vehicle Operator, Deployed Operations Site Lead
$98K–$155K
Dallas, Texas · On-site · Senior · Full-time · Posted Feb 28, 2026
- Experience
- At least 2,000 documented unmanned flight hours or 1,000 manned flight hours; demonstrated instructor experience required.
About the job
Leads V-BAT flight operations for DoD and foreign customers in deployed land-based and maritime environments, including mission planning, flight execution, team leadership, and customer coordination.
What you'll do
- Plan missions, assess risks, brief teams, conduct flights, and lead post-flight debriefs.
- Conduct Functional Check Flights and system validation; maintain aircraft configuration control and logbooks, and coordinate maintenance for fleet readiness.
- Mentor junior operators, represent operations to customers on site, and support deployments through extensive travel.
What they ask for
- At least 2,000 documented unmanned flight hours or 1,000 manned flight hours.
- Demonstrated instructor experience in manned or unmanned aviation.
- FAA Private Pilot License (PPL) and FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
- Ability to obtain and maintain an FAA Class II Medical Certificate and obtain and hold a Secret DoD security clearance.
Nice to have
- FAA Instrument Rating and/or Commercial Pilot License; manned-aircraft aircrew experience.
- Prior military or deployed operations experience; maritime or shipboard UAS experience; previous aviation operations leadership or Site Lead experience.
Pay
USD 98,000–155,000 per year (base salary)
Tools
V-BAT, FAA Private Pilot License (PPL), FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, FAA Class II Medical Certificate
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative