Director, Mission Effectiveness

Job Description Are you a mission-driven engineering leader passionate about developing advanced autonomous aircraft? Do you want to help deliver capabilities that provide decisive advantage in contested environments? Shield AI may be the place for you. Shield AI is seeking a Director of Mission Effectiveness to lead multidisciplinary teams spanning operational analysis, aircraft survivability, communications, and integrated mission systems for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. This leader will establish the organization’s technical and business strategy, align investments and priorities with product and program objectives, and oversee execution from early concept development through integration, flight test, and fielding. The ideal candidate has led a multidisciplinary organization supporting complex military aircraft or autonomous systems and brings strong business acumen alongside sound technical judgment. This individual need not be a subject-matter expert in every discipline but must understand how operational analysis, survivability, communications, payloads, avionics, autonomy, and weapons integration combine to drive mission effectiveness. What You’ll Do Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization spanning operational analysis, survivability, communications, and integrated mission systems. Establish clear priorities, accountability, organizational objectives, and operating rhythms that enable teams to execute effectively. Define technical strategy, capability roadmaps, and investment priorities aligned with aircraft program objectives, customer requirements, and broader business goals. Oversee the development of integrated mission-system architectures encompassing sensors, payloads, avionics, weapons, secure communications, autonomy, and aircraft survivability. Direct modeling, simulation, wargaming, and system-of-systems analysis to evaluate mission effectiveness, operational performance, emerging threats, and aircraft design alternatives. Lead cross-functional trade studies that balance mission capability, survivability, technical risk...

Clearance Required: Secret