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Senior Staff Solutions Engineer – Aircraft
| Company | Shield AI |
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| Location | Dallas, TX, USA |
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| Salary | $150000 – $225000 |
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| Type | Full-Time |
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| Degrees | Bachelor’s, Master’s |
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| Experience Level | Expert or higher |
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Requirements
- 10+ 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.
- 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, with the ability to clearly translate technical information into compelling sales narratives for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- 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.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the primary 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.
- Lead 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.
- Mentor junior solutions engineers and contribute to the growth of a technically rigorous sales organization. Over time, grow a technical sales team to support sales growth with a ‘right-sized’ team.
- Represent the broader Shield AI solution suite (including autonomy, AI pilots, ISR systems, and mission software) across the pre-sales lifecycle.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working at a major defense prime (e.g., Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Anduril, RTX) in a technical business development, engineering, product management, advanced programs, or strategic pursuits capacity.
- 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.
- Prefer relocation to Dallas, TX or Washington DC.
