a16z Lead, Electrical Engineering (R5116)
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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 Description:
Help build the technology behind the next generation of autonomous aircraft. As a Lead, Electrical Engineer, you will serve as a player-coach: leading the architecture, design, integration, and delivery of advanced electrical systems while directly managing and developing a small team of electrical engineers.You will remain deeply hands-on technically while setting direction for your team, driving execution across disciplines, and building the leadership experience needed to grow into broader engineering management responsibilities, including eventually leading full avionics organizations.
Growth Opportunity
This role is intended for an experienced technical leader who wants to expand their impact through both hands-on engineering leadership and people management. Successful performance can lead to broader responsibility for multiple teams, larger avionics portfolio.
What you'll do:
- Lead the architecture, design, integration, and production release of electrical systems and subsystems for autonomous aircraft and support equipment.
- Own technical decisions across complex architectures involving FPGAs, power management, analog and digital circuitry, servos, microcontrollers, sensors, radios, and embedded systems.
- Remain hands-on with part selection, schematic capture, simulation, analysis, verification, debugging, design reviews, and production support.
- Lead and develop a team of electrical engineers through technical mentorship, coaching, performance feedback, and effective delegation.
- Establish technical direction, priorities, and development plans for your team in alignment with program and aircraft objectives.
- Partner closely with firmware, software, mechanical, manufacturing, supply chain, test, and systems engineering teams to deliver integrated products.
- Support the design and integration of embedded systems and sensors that enable aircraft autonomy and AI capabilities.
- Define technical requirements, product features, interfaces, and verification strategies.
- Own project execution for your team, including schedules, risks, dependencies, deliverables, and cross-functional communication.
- Lead and participate in architecture, design, integration, and production readiness reviews.
- Help develop automated test solutions and improve hardware development, verification, and production processes.
- Identify and implement improvements that increase engineering efficiency, product quality, aircraft reliability, and team effectiveness.
- Build the technical and organizational foundation required to scale the avionics engineering team over time.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or equivalent practical experience.
- 8+ years of industry experience in electrical engineering, including multiple product development cycles.
- Experience leading technically complex electrical or avionics designs from concept through production.
- Strong fundamentals in circuit design, embedded systems, hardware architecture, analysis, verification, and debugging.
- Experience delivering products across EE, ME, firmware, software, manufacturing, and systems engineering disciplines.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop engineers while maintaining hands-on technical ownership.
- Proven track record of shipping high-quality products, navigating ambiguity, resolving obstacles, and delivering against challenging schedules.
- Strong communication, collaboration, prioritization, and cross-functional leadership skills.
- Demonstrated ownership, initiative, sound technical judgment, and commitment to engineering excellence.
- Ability to obtain a Secret/SAR-level security clearance desired.
#LI-DM2
#LE
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
Which location are you applying for?, 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