Senior Staff Field Solutions Engineer

What you'll do

• Lead X-BAT technical capture efforts for US Domestic opportunities, ensuring solutions are technically sound, feasible, and aligned with Shield AI’s product roadmap.
• Capture efforts will focus on Aircraft, but will require familiarity with the entire Shield AI Product suite.
• Manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, including customer engagements, pre-sales technical support, proposal contributions, and solution development.
• Develop and execute technical strategies that result in high-quality, compliant, and compelling proposals to maximize win probability.
• Serve as the primary technical lead for Go To Market (GTM) engagements, interfacing cross-functionally with BD, BD Operations, Engineering, Operations, Program Management, and Product Management to ensure customer needs are met.
• Manage technical content for proposals, requests for information (RFIs), white papers, and capability briefs, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and compliance.
• Support early-phase acquisition activities (concept notes, requirements drafts, unsolicited proposals).
• Shape early operational concepts aligned to X-BAT capabilities.
• Support BD and Account Executives by becoming a Subject Matter Expert in Shield AI products, providing technical expertise in customer engagements, capability briefings, and solution discussions to drive successful sales outcomes.
• Act as a liaison between BD and Engineering, ensuring that new customer requests are technically feasible and align with product capabilities, timelines, and roadmaps.
• Contribute to the technical documentation repository, maintaining capability briefs, specifications, FAQs, and other sales collateral for internal and external use.
• Provide training and mentorship to BD teams on technical aspects of Shield AI’s solutions, enabling them to articulate our value proposition confidently.
• Support competitive analysis and market intelligence specific to the US tactical aircraft market, ensuring the BD team remains informed on industry trends and competitor capabilities.
• Contribute to process improvement efforts, leveraging lessons learned from customer engagements to refine BD workflows and technical capture strategies.
• Analyze the unique operational and environmental factors of the assigned region, producing high-impact white papers and briefs that inform the product roadmap and drive solutions aligned to customer mission needs.

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in technical sales, capture, engineering, or program management within defense or aerospace industries.
• Demonstrated familiarity with US Department of War procurement processes and military force structures.
• Prior experience at a major defense prime (US OEM or equivalent) supporting tactical aircraft, CCA/ACA, or Group 4/5 UAS programs.
• Experience interfacing with government or military acquisition stakeholders.
• Strong systems-level understanding of aircraft design tradeoffs, operational CONOPS, and mission-based engineering.
• Proven ability to translate technical concepts into compelling narratives for senior stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, applied science, or related technical discipline.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, evolving startup environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience supporting defense sales or industrial partnerships.
• Background in maintenance / sustainment on combat aircraft and/or in mission systems integration.
• Experience contributing to early-phase design or conceptual aircraft programs.
• Prior military service experience.
• Advanced degree in engineering, aerospace, systems engineering, or business.
• 5+ years of experience in a presales/solutions engineering role.
• 3+ years of experience working in a startup environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of specific DoW operational scenarios and systems.