a16z Staff Engineer, Electrical System Advance Manufacturing (R5183)
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:
We are seeking a highly skilled Staff Electrical Systems Advance Manufacturing Engineer to lead the development, integration, and production support of advanced electrical systems for complex aerospace and defense platforms. This role is responsible for driving manufacturability, production readiness, process development, root cause resolution, and continuous improvement across electrical assemblies and subsystems.
The ideal candidate has deep experience supporting low-rate to high-rate production environments involving avionics, wiring harnesses, PCBAs, power systems, batteries, sensors, and mission-critical electrical hardware.
What you'll do:
- Lead manufacturing engineering activities for electrical and avionics systems from prototype through full-rate production
- Develop and optimize manufacturing processes, tooling, work instructions, and production flows for:
- Wiring harnesses and EWIS
- PCB/PCBA assemblies
- Avionics systems
- Power distribution systems
- Batteries and energy storage systems
- Sensors and navigation systems
- Mission system integration
- Partner with design engineering to improve manufacturability, reliability, testability, and producibility
- Drive root cause investigations and corrective actions for electrical manufacturing issues
- Develop work instructions, quality standards, and inspection methods
- Support supplier qualification, process validation, and production readiness reviews
- Lead DFM/DFA reviews and transition new products into manufacturing
- Develop electrical assembly standards, inspection methods, and quality control processes
- Define manufacturing standards, process controls, and acceptance criteria
- Support failure analysis and reliability improvement initiatives
- Collaborate with production, quality, supply chain, and test engineering teams
- Mentor junior manufacturing engineers
Tools & skills:
- MES & QMS systems
- 3DEXPERIENCE / Teamcenter (PLM) systems
- Supplier manufacturing processes
- 5S/visual management
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Required qualifications:
- 7+ years of manufacturing engineering experience supporting complex electrical systems
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
- Experience in prototype manufacturing in a startup or rapid-growth environment.
- Experience with:
- Wiring harness manufacturing
- EWIS standards
- PCB/PCBA manufacturing and assembly
- Electrical integration and troubleshooting
- Aerospace or defense electrical systems
- Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and adapt to changing priorities.
- Knowledge of manufacturing process development and production scaling
- Strong understanding of DFM/DFA principles
- Experience with root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies
Preferred qualifications:
- Aerospace or defense industry experience
- IPC certification familiarity (IPC-A-610, IPC/WHMA-A-620)
- Experience supporting flight hardware or mission-critical systems
- Knowledge of automated test systems and electrical validation
- Experience with ERP/MES systems and manufacturing data analysis
- Strong project management skills, including experience managing multiple priorities and deadlines
- Knowledge of quality standards, such as AS9100 or ISO 9001
- Proficiency in CAD software
#LI-JM1
#LD
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.