Shield AI

Sr Manager, Supplier Development Engineer (R4699)

Shield AI$183K — $250K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in mechanical hardware manufacturing or supplier development leadership roles.
  • Demonstrated leadership of supplier development or manufacturing teams.
  • Strong expertise in composite manufacturing, injection molding, and precision mechanical fabrication.
  • Proven ability to interpret 2D drawings, GD&T, and critical mechanical features at a high level.
  • Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (~50%+ as required).

Responsibilities

  • Define and lead supplier development strategy to improve cost, lead time, quality, and scalability.
  • Establish supplier process audit frameworks aligned to company growth objectives.
  • Own the supplier quality strategy, including audit standards and corrective action governance.
  • Lead root cause investigations for systemic supplier performance issues.
  • Assess supplier technical maturity and operational scalability.
  • Establish technical standards for supplier manufacturing processes.
  • Build and oversee supplier performance monitoring systems and identify supply chain risks.

Benefits

  • Bonus
  • Benefits package
  • Equity options
  • Flexible work environment
  • Professional development opportunities.
Full Job Description
What You'll Do:

Strategic Supplier Transformation & Process Excellence
  • Define and lead the supplier development strategy across key commodities, driving systemic improvements in cost, lead time, quality, and scalability.
  • Establish and institutionalize supplier process audit frameworks and continuous improvement roadmaps aligned to company growth objectives.
  • Partner with executive leadership to prioritize supplier investments, consolidations, and capability expansion.

Quality & Operational Governance
  • Own the supplier quality strategy, including audit standards, escalation frameworks, and corrective action governance.
  • Lead root cause investigations for systemic supplier performance issues and ensure cross-functional resolution.
  • Develop standardized quality and performance review mechanisms (QBRs, scorecards, KPI dashboards).

Supplier Capability & Capacity Development
  • Assess supplier technical maturity, manufacturing readiness, and operational scalability.
  • Drive supplier capability upgrades in partnership with Engineering and Operations to meet future product and rate requirements.
  • Lead make vs. buy strategy alignment for new and existing programs.

Engineering & Technical Leadership
  • Establish technical standards and expectations for supplier manufacturing processes, drawing interpretation, GD&T adherence, and quality controls.
  • Ensure supplier alignment with evolving product designs, material specifications, and manufacturing complexity (composites, injection molding, mechanical hardware).
  • Influence early design decisions to ensure manufacturability and supply chain scalability.

Performance & Risk Management
  • Build and oversee supplier performance monitoring systems covering delivery, quality, cost, and risk indicators.
    Proactively identify supply chain risks (capacity, geopolitical, technical, financial) and implement mitigation strategies at the portfolio level.
  • Lead executive-level supplier escalations and recovery plans when required.

New Product Introduction (NPI) Leadership
  • Own supplier readiness strategy for NPI programs, ensuring manufacturability, quality validation (FAI/PPAP), and capacity planning are completed prior to production ramp.
  • Partner with Engineering to align release timelines with supplier capability and risk mitigation plans.


Required Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in mechanical hardware manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, or supplier development leadership roles.
  • Demonstrated leadership of supplier development or manufacturing teams.
  • Strong expertise in composite manufacturing, injection molding, and/or precision mechanical fabrication.
  • Proven ability to interpret 2D drawings, GD&T, and critical mechanical features at a high level.
  • Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (~50%+ as required).


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks, CATIA) with ability to engage technically in DFM discussions.
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline.
  • Deep experience in root cause analysis, failure investigation, and structured corrective action frameworks.
  • Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives across Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, and Quality.
  • Experience building and scaling supplier networks in aerospace or high-growth hardware environments.


$183,600 - $250,000 a year

#LI-JM1

#LE

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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About Shield AI

Shield AI is a defense technology company that develops artificially intelligent systems for military applications. The company was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Shield AI's products include autonomous drones and software that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other military operations. The company's mission is to reduce the number of military casualties by providing soldiers with better intelligence and situational awareness. Shield AI has received funding from a number of investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Learn more about Shield AI
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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