Leads the global supplier quality function for aerospace and defense hardware. Responsibilities include managing supplier qualification, audits, performance, corrective actions, risk assessments, source inspections, nonconformance resolution, and supplier recovery. The role develops quality leaders, allocates team resources, ensures regulatory and contractual compliance, and partners with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and program teams to improve supplier capability, product quality, delivery, and resilience.
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.
Shield AI is actively seeking candidates with deep expertise in manufacturing and quality methodologies, paired with a relentless drive to enable supplier success and strengthen mission-critical operations.
Shield AI’s Supply Chain Quality team is responsible for global quality oversight across our supplier base. The team reduces supply-chain risk through supplier assessments and internal risk reviews, proactively drives supplier qualification and development activities.
In this role, you will lead a supplier quality team responsible for supplier qualification, development, performance management, and quality assurance across Shield AI’s aerospace and defense supply base. You will set supplier-quality priorities; manage team capacity, technical execution, and resource allocation; and develop high-performing quality leaders. The role also oversees supplier audits, nonconformance resolution, root-cause investigations, and hands on hardware dispositions.
You will evaluate supplier capability, quality performance, organizational risk, and resource needs to ensure purchased hardware and materials meet Shield AI engineering, customer, regulatory, and quality requirements. As an experienced aerospace quality leader, you will partner closely with Supply Chain, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, and Program teams to resolve complex supplier-quality issues, improve supplier capability, and reduce quality and delivery risk across the supply base.
What you'll do:
- Develop the supplier quality team responsible for supplier qualification, surveillance, performance management, and corrective-action activities across Shield AI’s global aerospace and defense supply base.
- Establish supplier-quality priorities, allocate resources, and translate functional objectives into staffing, workload, and execution plans that support product, program, and organizational needs.
- Develop Supplier Quality leaders and engineering personnel through coaching, performance management, succession planning, workforce development, and technical mentorship.
- Oversee supplier qualification, risk assessments, periodic performance reviews, supplier audits, source inspections, and approved-supplier status across complex aerospace hardware, commodities, and manufacturing processes.
- Ensure supplier requirements are effectively flowed down and that suppliers comply with applicable quality management system, engineering, customer, contractual, regulatory, and statutory requirements.
- Escalate significant supplier-quality risks and direct SCARs, supplier recovery efforts, and capability-improvement plans that could affect product quality, delivery, mission readiness, or program execution.
- Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Program teams to address supplier producibility, design-for-manufacturability, process capability, technical execution, and quality risks.
- Advance supplier-quality processes, business systems, data analytics, and continuous-improvement practices that strengthen supplier capability, product quality, delivery performance, and supply-base resilience.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, or another related technical discipline.
- At least 7 years of relevant experience, including 2–5 years of leadership or people-management experience with direct responsibility for Quality Engineering and/or Supplier Quality Engineering personnel.
- Strong working knowledge of AS9100 and/or ISO 9001 quality-management systems, as well as aerospace and defense supplier-quality requirements.
- Demonstrated proficiency in root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving methods, including 8D, 5 Whys, and fishbone analysis.
- Experience with supplier qualification, supplier development, PPAP, and First Article Inspection processes, including AS9102 requirements.
- Understanding of ITAR, EAR, DFARS, and other requirements applicable to aerospace and defense suppliers.
- Demonstrated people-leadership capability, including coaching, performance management, organizational development, and building high-performing technical teams.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration, executive communication, and supplier relationship-management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
- Experience using ERP/MRP systems.
- Ability to travel to Shield AI manufacturing locations and supplier sites domestically and, as needed, internationally—up to approximately 20% of the time.
Preferred qualifications:
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Quality Manager (CQM), or equivalent quality certification.
- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- Experience leading supplier-quality functions in a high-growth aerospace, defense, autonomy, robotics, or advanced-manufacturing environment.
- Experience supporting the production and qualification of complex electromechanical, electronic, precision-machined, composite, or avionics hardware.
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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.
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