V-BAT Air Vehicle Operator · Shield AI

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:16 GMT
Engineering

Shield AI · Dallas · $56,000 - $168,000 a year · onsite
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. V-BAT's duct increases thrust by 80%+ at equivalent engine power, enabling take-off and landing with a single power plant and achieving unmatched payload mass friction. It can fly for a half day or stop and hover for hours on end. 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. As a V-BAT Air Vehicle Operator, you will perform flight operations, testing, training, demonstrations, and maintenance in CONUS and OCONUS environments depending on customer requirements. You 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 you are applying. There are 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. * 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. * 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. 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