Head of Construction, Manufacturing; R4389

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture‑backed deep‑tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V‑BAT and X‑BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia‑Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

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The Head of Construction will lead the planning and execution of all manufacturing construction projects at Shield AI, including prototype facilities, production facilities, and critical supporting infrastructure. Reporting to the Director, Future Manufacturing Programs, you will own the full lifecycle of complex capital projects—from concept and programming through design, construction, commissioning, and handover to operations—ensuring facilities are delivered on time, on budget, and ready to support aggressive product ramp schedules.

This is a high‑impact role at the intersection of facilities, operations, and future aircraft programs.

• Manage the portfolio of construction projects for Manufacturing & Operations, including prototype development spaces, production facilities, integration labs, hangars, and test/support facilities.
• Serve as the primary Operations lead for all construction projects, aligning facility scope, schedule, and phasing with aircraft program milestones and production ramp plans.
• Lead end‑to‑end project delivery: requirements definition, programming, conceptual design, design development, permitting, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operational handover.
• Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing construction and project management team capable of delivering multiple concurrent projects across locations.
• Select, direct, and hold accountable external partners (architects/engineers, owner’s reps, construction managers, general contractors, and specialty consultants) to Shield AI standards for speed, quality, and cost.
• Develop and maintain Shield AI’s facility and construction standards for manufacturing and aircraft operations, including layouts, utilities, EHS, security, and operational readiness requirements.
• Partner closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Customer Operations, EHS, Security and others to ensure seamless integration of facility capabilities with manufacturing systems and operational needs.
• Own construction project controls: schedules, budgets, forecasts, risk registers, change management, and executive reporting.
• Drive value engineering and creative phasing strategies that enable rapid startup, expansion flexibility, and capital efficiency while maintaining safety and quality.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable building codes, environmental regulations, safety standards, and security/defense requirements.
• Champion a culture of field presence, issue ownership, and bias for action—frequently engaging on‑site to unblock problems and maintain momentum.
• Prepare and present clear updates, options, and recommendations to executive leadership on major capital projects and facility strategy.
• Support long‑range master planning for current and future manufacturing and aircraft operations sites, including brownfield expansions and greenfield developments.

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil/Structural Engineering, Architecture, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of experience delivering complex capital projects in manufacturing, aerospace, aviation, semiconductor, or other high‑tech/industrial environments.
• Proven track record acting as the owner’s representative, leading projects from concept through occupancy under aggressive schedules.
• Strong command of project controls (scheduling, estimating, cost control, risk management) and proficiency with modern project management tools.
• Deep understanding of industrial facility requirements (process utilities, material flow, equipment installation, safety, and maintainability).
• Willingness to travel regularly…