Deployed Operations Fleet Manager

About the role

You will own the end to end availability and integrity of Shield AI deployable V BAT aircraft and associated ground systems. You will serve as the single point of accountability for fleet health, ensuring that every aircraft, component, and tool is tracked, documented, and ready for mission use. You will drive the daily rhythm of status reporting, configuration control, and maintenance coordination across distributed operations teams. You will translate high level operational demands into precise aircraft and equipment requirements that engineering and logistics can execute against. You will partner closely with logistics, engineering, and mission planning to resolve discrepancies between deployed reality and documented configuration. You will mentor deployed technicians and operators on proper procedures, data collection, and reporting standards to sustain a high state of readiness. You will exercise sound judgment to prioritize limited resources when multiple campaigns compete for the same aircraft and spares. You will represent the deployed fleet perspective in internal reviews and external coordination, ensuring that operational constraints are clearly communicated and understood.

Key facts

What you'll do

Coordinate detailed aircraft and component scheduling to match campaign timelines, deconflicting demand across theaters and accounting for transit, maintenance, and certification windows.

Maintain a real time, auditable record of aircraft configuration, installed options, and mission kits, ensuring that documentation matches physical aircraft at all times.

Drive the resolution of aircraft discrepancies, working with engineering and supply to classify issues, track corrective actions, and validate return to service.

Own the collection and analysis of fleet utilization metrics, identifying trends, bottlenecks, and systemic risks that could impact availability or readiness.

Serve as the central escalation manager for deployed teams, triaging aircraft, equipment, and support issues and routing them to the appropriate internal function.

Develop and sustain standard work procedures for pre flight, post flight, and turn around activities that are clear, executable, and consistently followed in the field.

Interface directly with external partners and customers to align on expectations, resolve constraints, and confirm aircraft and equipment capabilities.

Manage inventory criticality for line replaceable units and consumables, ensuring that stock levels, lead times, and priorities align with operational commitments.

Oversee the implementation of configuration control, ensuring that any modification, software load, or hardware change is properly authorized and recorded.

Champion continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing operational performance, capturing lessons learned, and proposing actionable changes to processes and tools.

Support the development and execution of training plans for deployed operators, focusing on correct usage, data recording, and reporting discipline.

Act as the primary liaison between operations, logistics, and engineering for aircraft related decisions, ensuring that tradeoffs are transparent and well documented.

Monitor compliance with safety, security, and regulatory requirements across all deployed activities, escalating non conformities promptly.

Represent the deployed fleet in cross functional forums, providing data driven input on capacity, risk, and resourcing decisions.

Requirements

You are a U.S. citizen eligible to obtain a Secret security clearance.

You have a minimum of five years of progressive experience in aircraft operations, maintenance, or fleet management roles.

You have demonstrated experience managing complex hardware systems in demanding operational environments.

You have a strong working knowledge of aviation maintenance principles, including logbook procedures, discrepancy reporting, and return to service documentation.

You are proficient with enterprise software systems, including databases, spreadsheets, and operational dashboards for tracking and reporting.

You have experience interfacing with government customers and managing expectations in regulated environments.

You are able to interpret technical documentation, including manuals, schematics, and service bulletins, to resolve operational questions.

You are comfortable operating in high tempo, ambiguous situations where priorities shift rapidly and decisions must be made with incomplete information.

Nice to have

Experience with unmanned aircraft systems, particularly V BAT or similar vertical takeoff and landing platforms.

Familiarity with simulation and synthetic reality tools used for mission rehearsal or training.

Knowledge of defense acquisition frameworks and logistics support agreements.

Experience with Aechelon or related synthetic environment platforms.

Practical notes

This role may require occasional travel to operational sites, including international locations, within the Middle East, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions.

Travel must comply with company policy and may involve irregular schedules, including evenings and weekends to meet operational needs.

Candidates must be eligible for U.S. government security clearances and must be able to work in accordance with Shield AI policies and procedures.