Staff Field Solution Engineer - XBAT - AMER (R6265)
Staff Field Solution Engineer leading technical pre-sales for Shield AI's X-BAT aircraft program: shaping requirements, briefing senior DoD and international defense stakeholders, and producing RFIs, white papers, and proposals around tactical unmanned aircraft, autonomy, and ISR systems.
- Compensation
- $180K–$280K / yr
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Work setup
- Onsite
- Seniority
- Staff
- Employment
- Part time
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Solutions engineering
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- 5+ years in technical sales, capture, or engineering roles in defense or aerospace, interfacing with U.S. DoD and/or international ministries of defense
- Experience supporting government sales in pre-prototype or pre-solicitation phases
- Excellence in presentation skills, organizing technical ideas, and narrative building for leadership-level stakeholders
- Experience with programs involving tactical aircraft, fighter jets, or group 5 UAS
- Proven success contributing to deals valued over $15M
- Strong systems-level understanding of aircraft design tradeoffs, customer CONOPS, and mission-based engineering
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, applied science, or equivalent technical discipline
- Outstanding communication skills, translating technical information into compelling sales narratives
- Ability to manage ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and operate independently in a fast-paced startup environment
- Active U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one
Nice to have
- Experience at a major defense prime (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Anduril, RTX) or USG in technical BD, engineering, product management, advanced programs, or strategic pursuits
- Background in multi-domain operations, autonomy, or networked ISR systems
- Familiarity with key acquisition programs (e.g., NGAD, CCA, FMS/DCS pathways)
- Advanced degree in engineering or business with applicable focus areas
- Prior military service experience
- Relocation to Dallas, TX or Washington DC
Full description
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:
Shield AI is hiring a Senior Solutions Engineer to support technical sales for a flagship aircraft program currently in early design and development. This role requires a proven leader who has supported large-scale domestic and international defense programs in the conceptual or pre-solicitation phase — ideally in tactical aviation or high-performance unmanned systems. This position will serve as a key technical interface to senior government stakeholders, business development, and engineering leadership, shaping requirements and aligning our product roadmap with future mission needs.
What you'll do:
- Serve as the technical lead supporting pre-sales engagements for a new advanced aircraft platform targeting high-end tactical missions.
- Collaborate with senior leaders across Business Development, Engineering, and Product Management to influence product definition, capability prioritization, and solution alignment with customer operational concepts.
- Support technical capture for domestic and international opportunities in early acquisition phases (e.g., AOAs, RFIs, Requirement Drafts, white papers, unsolicited proposals).
- Shape and translate customer needs into actionable system requirements, roadmaps, and program strategies.
- Develop compelling technical narratives and lead content development for briefings, RFIs, white papers, and proposal volumes.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with customer technical stakeholders (including U.S. DoD program offices and foreign governments).
- Contribute to internal investment decisions by assessing market signals, competitor activity, and technical feasibility.
- Represent the broader Shield AI solution suite (including autonomy, AI pilots, ISR systems, and mission software) across the pre-sales lifecycle.
Required qualifications:
- 5+ years in technical sales, capture, or engineering roles in defense or aerospace industries, with significant experience interfacing with U.S. DoD and/or international ministries of defense.
- Demonstrated experience supporting government sales in pre-prototype or pre-solicitation phases.
- Demonstrated excellence in presentation skills, organization of technical ideas, and narrative building for a variety of stakeholders at leadership levels with direct customers.