Mission Assurance Lead (R5896)
Posted Updated
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 . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Descritpion:
Shield AI is seeking a Mission Assurance Lead to provide independent, engineering‑informed oversight of maintenance, configuration, documentation, and field operations across Shield AI aircraft operations. The role ensures Shield AI maintains continuous, objective insight into aircraft readiness, system integrity, and process conformance
This position combines maintenance process assurance, operational safety, configuration control, and early risk detection. The Inspector validates requirements, verifies execution, identifies nonconformances early, and drives corrective actions that prevent risks from reaching the aircraft, mission, or customer.
The ideal candidate is comfortable working in hangars, test events, field sites, and deployed environments; recognizes disciplined maintenance and operational practices; and converts observations into actionable, scalable assurance data.
What you will do:
- Build and operate a Mission Assurance model for Shield AI Aircraft operations, covering maintenance procedures, documentation, configuration control, support equipment, and field execution
- Define inspection strategy, audit cadence, evidence requirements, data standards, and reporting rhythms.
- Conduct independent inspections of maintenance tasks, logbooks, technical data use, service bulletin compliance, configuration accuracy, release practices, tool/FOD control, ground handling, and field operations.
- Verify maintenance quality, data integrity, critical‑step completion, serial/time‑tracked item accuracy, deferred discrepancy management, and in‑process inspection discipline.
- Develop and execute standardized evaluation programs, including sampling plans, audits, acceptance criteria, and documented finding categories.
- Maintain dashboards and indicators such as maintenance quality, data error rates, open findings, CAPA status, repeat discrepancies, tool/FOD events, and potential readiness blockers.
- Partner with Maintenance, Field Operations, Engineering, and Airworthiness to standardize processes across locations while maintaining independent oversight.
- Escalate safety‑of‑flight, compliance, or data integrity risks; recommend stop‑work, restrictions, additional inspections, or impounds when warranted.
- Support investigations of mishaps, near misses, maintenance errors, and field failures, ensuring accurate reconstruction of maintenance, configuration, and operational timelines.
- Will perform associated follow up inspections to ensure finding are sufficiently resolved
- Maintain the evidence trail required for customer confidence, safety assurance, governance, and quality expectations in a scaling UAS operation.
Required Qualifications:
- 7+ years of experience in aviation maintenance, maintenance QA, maintenance control, field service leadership, or equivalent mission‑critical operational roles.
- Demonstrated ability to build or mature maintenance QA or mission assurance programs.
- Practical expertise with maintenance procedures, logbooks, MIS/work orders, discrepancies, configuration control, service bulletin compliance, tool/FOD control, and aircraft release discipline.
- Hands‑on experience in operational environments (hangars, flightlines, test ranges, customer sites, or deployed locations).
- Strong data discipline and ability to generate accurate, actionable reports and dashboards.
- Working knowledge of audit practices, root‑cause methods, CAPA, and safety/quality systems.
- High ownership and independence; able to ask difficult questions, build trust, and drive corrective actions without unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to travel and support non‑standard operational tempos.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with military aviation maintenance/QA.
- Experience with NASA‑style mission assurance, DoD QA, AS9100, ICAO safety assurance, or similar frameworks.
- Experience supporting developmental flight test programs or rapidly evolving aircraft platforms
- Training in auditing, root‑cause analysis, CAPA, HFACS, TapRooT, Six Sigma, human factors, or maintenance evaluation.
- Experience with autonomous systems, configuration management, telemetry‑based maintenance, or digital maintenance systems.
- Familiarity with aviation safety assurance, risk management, and continuous monitoring.
- Active or eligible security clearance.
#LI-JM1
Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Skills
As published by lever · 20 questions · 9 written answers
Basics
Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website
Short answers (1)
- Please state your full legal name:
Pick from a list (10)
- Are you authorized to work in the United States?
- Will you require sponsorship for employment now or in the future?
- This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to export controls, such as EAR. Are you any of the following?
- Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces?
- How did you hear about us?
- Are you a transitioning service member?
- If yes, what partnership program are you working with? optional
- Are you local to or willing to relocate? optional
- What office(s) would you be willing to relocate to? (Select all that apply) optional
- Do you have, or are you able to obtain, a S/SAR clearance? optional
Written answers (9)
- If yes, what type of sponsorship? optional
- If you selected "A protected Individual" OR "Other" to the above question, please explain further. optional
- (Optional) If you selected other or would like to expand on the above, feel free to do so below: optional
- If "Industry Conference" or "Other," please provide more details: optional
- If other, please provide further details optional
- When are you available to start your fellowship? optional
- When are you available for full time work? optional
- What full time job(s) are you applying for?
- If you selected international, what location(s)? optional