Director of Production (R4782)

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>](https://shield.ai/). Follow Shield AI on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai), [X](https://x.com/shieldaitech), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/shield_ai), and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@Shield_AI).

### **Job Description:**

Do you thrive at the intersection of high-stakes execution and advanced technology? Shield AI is seeking a Director of Production to lead our U.S.-based manufacturing operations and help scale the future of autonomous defense systems. You’ll drive execution across factory floor operations, partner cross-functionally with quality, engineering and supply chain teams, and ensure our production systems are ready for what’s next.

We're looking for a bold, hands-on leader who can inspire teams, architect production systems, and scale operations with intensity, precision, and a clear mission in mind.

### What you'll do

• Architect and execute forward-looking production plans that balance scale, agility, and quality—all while meeting demanding cost and delivery goals.
• Drive aircraft production capabilities, implementing systems, processes, and staffing to support rapid growth.
• Lead high-performance teams across production operations, driving excellence through clear expectations, coaching, and accountability.
• Collaborate deeply with quality, engineering, supply chain, and customer operations to integrate design, sourcing, and production workflows.
• Champion continuous improvement across every dimension of production: throughput, takt, quality, and cost.
• Embed data-driven decision-making into daily operations using KPI dashboards, metrics reviews, and operational cadences.
• Drive the adoption of automation, digitization, and advanced manufacturing methods to future-proof our operations.
• Serve as a trusted voice to executive leadership—reporting insights, flagging risks, and translating complexity into action.

### Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years of production leadership in advanced manufacturing environments (aerospace, automotive, or similar).
• Proven experience building and scaling a manufacturing operation.
• 5+ years leading large teams in high-precision, high-throughput settings.
• Success managing complex outsourced manufacturing or tiered vendor ecosystems.
• Deep knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies—and a passion for driving results through them.
• Exceptional communicator, able to navigate executive-level reporting and cross-functional alignment.
• A systems thinker with hands-on grit, capable of zooming between strategic planning and operational execution.