Lead and execute V-BAT flight operations for DoD and foreign customers in austere land and maritime OCONUS environments. Plan missions, assess risk, brief customers, perform Functional Check Flights and system validation, maintain aircraft logbooks and configuration, coordinate maintenance, mentor junior operators, and act as on-site operational representative while supporting deployments.
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:
The Senior Air Vehicle Operator (AVO) – Deployment Operations is responsible for executing and leading V-BAT flight operations in support of DoD and foreign customers in both land-based and maritime OCONUS environments. This is an operationally focused role requiring strong aviation judgment, disciplined execution, and the ability to lead small teams in austere and high-visibility conditions.
The Senior AVO is responsible for leading mission planning activities, performing comprehensive risk assessments, delivering pre-mission briefings, executing flight operations, and conducting structured post-flight debriefs. This role includes conducting Functional Check Flights (FCFs) and system validation as required, ensuring aircraft configuration control and logbook accuracy, coordinating with maintenance to sustain fleet readiness, and supporting overall operational discipline. The Senior AVO will mentor junior operators, serve as the on-site operational representative to customers, and travel extensively in support of deployments.
This is not an entry-level flight operations role. The ideal candidate brings strong aviation fundamentals, disciplined cockpit habits, and mature operational decision-making. They must be comfortable leading deployments, briefing customers, managing risk in dynamic environments, and maintaining professionalism in high-visibility settings. The Senior AVO must balance mission execution with customer satisfaction while upholding the highest standards of safety, compliance, and operational excellence.
Required Qualifications:
- Minimum of 2000 documented unmanned flight hours or 1000 manned flight hours
- Demonstrated instructor experience (manned or unmanned aviation)
- FAA Private Pilot License (PPL)
- FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
- Ability to obtain and maintain an FAA Class II Medical Certificate
- Ability to obtain and hold a Secret DoD security clearance
- Ability to pass background, drug screening, and customer-required medical/dental screenings
- Willingness to travel up to 50–75% in support of deployments
- Ability to lead and operate independently in small teams under austere conditions
- Strong aviation judgment, decision-making, and risk management skills
Preferred Qualifications
- FAA Instrument Rating and/or Commercial Pilot License
- Experience operating as aircrew on manned aircraft
- Prior military service, particularly with overseas or deployed operations
- Maritime or shipboard UAS operational experience
- Previous experience as a Site Lead or in a leadership role overseeing aviation operations
#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.
Similar Jobs at Shield AI
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Develop and maintain control and autonomy algorithms for the V-BAT codebase across full lifecycle: algorithm design, software implementation, unit/component tests, flight software qualification, flight test support, and simulation model updates and validation. Work on control systems for unmanned aerial systems and robotics, including outer-loop path planning/trajectory synthesis and hierarchical software integration.
Top Skills:
Bandpass FiltersC++Ci/CdFirst Order FiltersFlight SoftwareGain/Phase Margin AnalysisKalman FiltersLinear System AnalysisPath PlanningPythonSimulation Model DevelopmentTest-Driven DevelopmentTime Response AnalysisTrajectory Synthesis
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Develop and maintain embedded firmware for V-BAT UAVs using C/C++, bare-metal systems, Linux Kernel or RTOS platforms, and custom hardware bring-up. Design avionics software architectures, integrate sensors and subsystems, convert legacy software to RTOS, build CI/CD and automated testing systems, and support hardware-in-the-loop validation, deployment, and production. Collaborate across software, autonomy, electrical, systems, and test engineering teams while delivering reliable aerospace products.
Top Skills:
Bare-Metal FirmwareCC++Ci/CdDevice TreesEmbedded SystemsHardware-In-The-Loop SimulationLinux KernelMulti-ThreadingRtosVirtualized Hardware
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Leads the technical development of a new aircraft program from requirements and architecture through design, integration, testing, and production. Owns air vehicle technical integrity, system-level engineering trades, risk reduction, supplier coordination, manufacturing transition, and multidisciplinary engineering execution across aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, avionics, flight controls, and related systems. Provides hands-on technical leadership, mentors engineers, drives design decisions, and ensures aircraft performance, producibility, reliability, and mission success.
Top Skills:
AerodynamicsAerospace ManufacturingAircraft Systems IntegrationAvionicsElectrical SystemsFlight ControlsFlight SciencesFlight TestingGround TestingMechanical SystemsPropulsionStructures
What you need to know about the Charlotte Tech Scene
Ranked among the hottest tech cities in 2024 by CompTIA, Charlotte is quickly cementing its place as a major U.S. tech hub. Home to more than 90,000 tech workers, the city’s ecosystem is primed for continued growth, fueled by billions in annual funding from heavyweights like Microsoft and RevTech Labs, which has created thousands of fintech jobs and made the city a go-to for tech pros looking for their next big opportunity.
Key Facts About Charlotte Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 90,859; 6.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lowe’s, Bank of America, TIAA, Microsoft, Honeywell
- Key Industries: Fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, e-commerce
- Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (CED)
- Notable Investors: Microsoft, Google, Falfurrias Management Partners, RevTech Labs Foundation
- Research Centers and Universities: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Northeastern University, North Carolina Research Campus
