Staff Engineer, Ground Vehicle Advance Manufacturing (R5186)

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. Job Description: We are seeking a Staff Ground Vehicle Advance uyoiypoiManufacturing Engineer to support the development and production of advanced ground mobility and vehicle systems. This role focuses on mechanical and integrated systems including chassis, suspension, braking, hydraulics, pneumatics, and mobility platforms. The ideal candidate has strong experience in automotive, heavy vehicle, or defense vehicle manufacturing environments and is comfortable supporting both prototype and production operations.

What you'll do:: Lead manufacturing engineering activities for vehicle and mobility systems Develop and optimize manufacturing processes, tooling, work instructions, and production flows for: Chassis and structural assemblies Suspension and braking systems Wheels, axles, and driveline components Hydraulic and pneumatic systems Trailer and mobility platforms Support vehicle integration, testing, and production readiness activities Partner with design engineering to improve manufacturability, reliability, testability, and producibility Drive root cause investigations and corrective actions for 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 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 in automotive, mobility, heavy equipment, or defense vehicle systems Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or related field Experience in prototype manufacturing in a startup or rapid-growth environment. Experience with: Vehicle integration and assembly Hydraulics and pneumatics Chassis and braking systems Mechanical production 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 corre