V-BAT Air Vehicle Operator

Job Description

Job 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. 

Introduction to the V-BAT

Securing borders, hunting drugs, finding threats. Shield AI’s V-BAT is the future of tactical UAS today. Nothing else in the world like it, V-BAT is the next-generation UAS.  In head-to-head customer fly-offs, V-BAT wins. The U.S. and allied militaries are choosing V-BAT because it delivers, period.   

The true differentiator between V-BAT and the rest is its patented ducted fan design. Most importantly, thrust vectoring bestows V-BAT with unmatched control authority for rock-solid stability in high winds and challenging weather – whether taking off, landing, flying forward, or in a transition state. 

V-BAT is designed explicitly for runway and equipment-independent launch and recovery in austere environments with no external support. The aircraft can be transported in the bed of a truck and assembled by two personnel in under 20 minutes, making it a true expeditionary system built for dynamic movement and fluid mission sets. 

Job Description 

V-Bat Air Vehicle Operators (Level 1-5) perform flight operations, testing, training, demonstrations, and maintenance in CONUS and OCONUS environments depending on customer requirements. Candidates must be willing to become proficient in a variety of V-Bat specific AVO skills based on the unique demands of the position for which they are applying. 

Six different teams and opportunities you could work for:

• Deployed Operations – AVOs support DoD and foreign customers in an operational capacity during maritime and land-based OCONUS deployments. 

• Instructor – AVOs develop and teach programs of instruction based on an institutional and operational knowledge of the V-Bat system and air vehicle operations. 

• Training/Standardization and Evaluation - AVOs assigned to Training, Standardization, and Evaluation are responsible for developing and delivering Programs of Instruction (POIs) for the V-BAT system to both internal and external customers. They serve as subject matter experts (SMEs), providing high-quality instruction and ensuring operators are trained to the highest standards of safety, proficiency, and mission effectiveness. In this role, AVOs establish, maintain, and enforce standardization across V-BAT flight operations, ensuring consistency in procedures, evaluations, and best practices. They also conduct evaluations and provide actionable feedback to uphold operational excellence and safe, effective flight operations.

• Demo/Business Development – AVOs perform flight demonstrations for potential customers in both CONUS and OCONUS locations. 

• Production Flight Testing – AVOs test newly produced V-Bat systems and rely on pilot and maintenance skills to ensure quality control and fleet readiness. 

• Engineering Research & Development – AVOs perform research and development flights and push the boundaries of innovation in the unmanned air vehicle space. 

• Support SME – The UAS Support SME will delight customers (internal and external) by providing advanced (L2) troubleshooting and support for issues encountered in the field. In addition to serving as link between our engineers and our customers, this role will assist in documenting and developing a robust knowledge base including troubleshooting guides, system FAQs, and training support materials. 

• Experimental Flight Testing/R&D – Operators will collaborate with engineering teams to execute integration, ground tests, and flight tests, ensuring seamless interactions between various components and systems of the V-Bat UAV platform. They will provide regular and insightful feedback to flight test engineers, flight control engineers, propulsion engineers, ground control station development engineers, technical directors, and product managers. Your inputs will be crucial in refining and enhancing the platform's performance. This role will also contribute to the development of comprehensive training materials, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and technical documentation. Lastly, you will actively participate in brainstorming sessions and discussions on improvements, optimizations, and innovations for the V-Bat platform. Your insights will contribute to its growth and evolution and help pave the way for the effective utilization and maintenance of current and future variants of the V-Bat system. 

Required Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and lead in a small team environment, often in austere locations, while delighting the customer 
• Ability to pass background check and drug screening in accordance with company policy 
• Ability to pass medical and dental screenings as required by customers 
• Ability to possess a Secret DoD security clearance as required by customers 

Desired Qualifications:

• Prior experience with other manned or unmanned systems 
• Prior military service with overseas assignments 
• Maritime/shipboard UAS experience 
• FAA Ratings (Part 107/Private Pilot/Commercial/Instrument/CFI)  
• A&P certified 

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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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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. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.