Supplier Development Engineer (R4621)

Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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. 

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Supplier Development Engineer to join Shield AI.  The ideal candidate will have a strong background in supplier development, quality engineering, production process improvement, and supply chain management within the aerospace industry. This role is critical in enhancing supplier performance by solving supplier challenges that impact quality/on-time delivery/scaling, supporting the onboarding of suppliers to new designs, and delivering on our mission to deliver affordable and autonomous mass at scale.

Process Improvement: Audit and embed into core supplier processes to understand improvement opportunities to cost, lead-times, and quality

Quality Assurance: Conduct on-site audits to root cause supplier quality issues or performance challenges

Supplier Development: Assess and improve supplier capabilities, ensuring alignment with engineering and operational priorities.

Engineering Technical Support: Provide technical guidance to suppliers on part specifications, manufacturing processes and standards, and quality measures

Supplier Performance Monitoring: Track and analyze supplier performance metrics, including delivery, quality, and cost. Implement corrective actions and continuous improvement plans as necessary.

Risk Management: Identify and mitigate risks within the supply chain to ensure uninterrupted production and delivery of components

New Product Introduction (NPI): Support the introduction of new products by ensuring suppliers meet all quality and delivery requirements during the development phase

7+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment and/or manufacturing engineering role

Depending on commodity expertise:

Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA) and ability to analyze and explain 2D drawings

Proficiency in electrical CAD tools and interpretation of schematics and PCB drawings

M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent. 

Problem solving skills including root cause investigation and failure analysis

Ability to travel to domestic and international suppliers ~50%+ of time