# Engineering Manager, Air Vehicle Mechanical Systems (R5391) at Shield AI

- Company: Shield AI
- What the company does: Autonomy for the world. Backed by a16z.
- Company website: https://shield.ai
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Senior
- Location: San Diego, California
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $153K to $229K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-08-18
- Apply by: 2026-10-14
- Apply: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/c2acfb31-06ad-490b-b860-297806ea1add
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/shield-ai-engineering-manager-air-vehicle-mechanical-systems-r5391/

## About the role

Shield AI is seeking a Manager of Actuated Systems to lead an aircraft mechanical systems team for our groundbreaking jet-engine VTOL military UAV platform, X-BAT. You will manage a team of engineers designing and integrating flight- and mission-critical mechanisms such as doors, uplocks/downlocks, landing gear, folding/packaging mechanisms, flight-control actuation integration, and propulsion/nozzle actuation mechanisms.

## What they're looking for

- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent)
- 10+ years experience with aerospace mechanisms and actuated system design, build, integration, test and flight
- 2+ years leading teams or performing in a team leadership role
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams with high autonomy—setting direction, ensuring quality, and scaling output through people
- Strong engineering fundamentals: kinematics, statics/dynamics, fatigue/wear, tolerancing/GD&T, materials and finishes, lubrication/bearings, failure modes
- Experience shipping hardware through prototype build, test, iteration, and release, including supplier and manufacturing engagement

Tags: X-BAT Engineering - Mechanical

Source: 1752vc Careers, https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/shield-ai-engineering-manager-air-vehicle-mechanical-systems-r5391/