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 motivated Staff Advance Industrial Engineer to design, optimize, and scale world-class manufacturing systems for advanced aerospace products. In this role, you will lead factory and production system design, including facility layouts, material flow, line balancing, capacity planning, and production readiness. You will also play a critical role in planning and executing greenfield manufacturing facilities, developing factory concepts from the ground up, including production layouts, infrastructure requirements, equipment planning, material flow strategies, and manufacturing standards.
Partnering with Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Facilities, Quality, EHS, and Program Management, you will develop efficient, scalable, and data-driven manufacturing solutions that enable rapid production growth. This is a high-impact role responsible for transforming manufacturing concepts into production-ready factories while driving safety, quality, throughput, and operational excellence.
What you'll do:- Lead factory layout development, production line design, and manufacturing system optimization for new and existing production programs.
- Support the planning and execution of greenfield manufacturing facilities, including factory master planning, space allocation, utility requirements, equipment placement, production flow, and long-term capacity planning.
- Develop manufacturing concepts from initial factory planning through production launch, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and operational efficiency.
- Design and optimize material flow, point-of-use storage, supermarkets, kitting strategies, replenishment systems, tugger routes, and warehouse logistics.
- Develop detailed 2D factory layouts and 3D manufacturing models, including equipment placement, utilities, workstations, safety zones, production support infrastructure, and future expansion plans.
- Perform capacity planning, line balancing, takt time analysis, labor planning, buffer sizing, and bottleneck analysis to achieve production targets.
- Conduct time studies, ergonomic assessments, spaghetti diagrams, and workflow analyses to improve productivity and eliminate waste.
- Develop manufacturing standards for material presentation, packaging, FIFO management, visual controls, workstation design, and factory operating standards.
- Lead cross-functional factory design reviews with Manufacturing Engineering, Production, Facilities, Supply Chain, Quality, EHS, and Program Management.
- Utilize discrete-event simulation tools to model production throughput, identify constraints, validate factory designs, and optimize manufacturing strategies before implementation.
- Support facility construction, equipment installation, tape-outs, utility coordination, commissioning, and production readiness activities during factory launches.
- Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives including 5S, visual management, standardized work, continuous improvement, and value stream optimization.
- Develop and maintain factory design standards, launch playbooks, production system guidelines, and manufacturing best practices to support future factory expansions and replication.
Tools & Skills
- AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, Visio, or equivalent CAD/layout software
- Siemens Plant Simulation, FlexSim, AnyLogic, or equivalent discrete-event simulation software
- Time studies, MTM/MOST, work measurement, and labor analysis
- Capacity modeling, line balancing, takt planning, and production system design
- Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), 5S, Kanban, and Visual Management
- Material flow analysis, warehouse and logistics design
- Factory master planning and facility layout development
- Strong analytical, project management, and cross-functional leadership skills
Required qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 8+ years of experience in industrial engineering, factory design, manufacturing systems, production planning, advanced manufacturing engineering, or greenfield facility development.
- Experience designing factory layouts, production lines, and scalable manufacturing systems for complex products.
- Experience supporting greenfield manufacturing projects, facility expansions, or major production line launches.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes including machining, composites, electrical assemblies, precision mechanical assemblies, and final integration.
- Experience supporting production ramp-up, new product introduction (NPI), and manufacturing process development.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects in a fast-paced, high-growth manufacturing environment.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Preferred qualifications:- Aerospace, defense, automotive, or advanced manufacturing industry experience.
- Experience leading greenfield factory development, factory relocation, or major manufacturing expansion projects.
- Knowledge of AS9100, ISO 9001, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
- Experience with automated material handling systems, robotics, AGVs/AMRs, automated storage systems, or Industry 4.0 technologies.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.
- Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ERP systems, digital factory technologies, and production simulation software.
$150,000 - $230,000 a year
* Compensation for this role is based on the position's work location. The salary range shown reflects the listed location and may vary if the position is based in a different geographic market. Actual compensation will also consider factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity.
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.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
