Mission Assurance Lead (R5896)

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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

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

Key Responsibilities 

• 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. 

What you bring

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. 

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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.   ###   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.