Manager, Field Integration & Test (R5104)

Job Description:

What you'll do:

• Lead and manage a field integration team consisting of Field Engineers, Air Vehicle Operators and Field Integration Specialists.
• Serve as the senior technical advisor and escalation point for field integration operations.
• Provide mentorship, technical guidance, and operational support to deployed field teams during installations, troubleshooting, and customer operations.
• Establish integration standards, troubleshooting methodologies, installation procedures, and field best practices.
• Coordinate staffing, deployment readiness, and operational support activities across multiple concurrent integration efforts.
• Drive operational excellence, safety, and technical quality across all field integration activities.
• Oversee shipboard and land-based integration activities supporting V-BAT deployments on maritime and expeditionary platforms.
• Oversee planning and execution of:
• Site surveys
• Shipboard integration assessments
• Installation planning
• System commissioning and operational readiness activities
• Provide technical oversight for installation and calibration of various communication systems and associated networking infrastructure
• Review and validate integration plans, antenna layouts, RF configurations, and installation approaches to ensure operational effectiveness and platform compatibility.
• Ensure all installations comply with maritime safety standards, EMI/EMC requirements, and platform-specific operational constraints.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for RF communications systems and maritime electromagnetic operating environments.
• Guide field teams in:
• Link Margin Analysis
• RF troubleshooting
• Link testing and optimization
• Interference mitigation
• Antenna placement and calibration
• Support system performance analysis and operational readiness validation in complex maritime RF environments.
• Coordinate with engineering teams to identify systemic RF or integration issues and drive corrective actions.
• Provide technical recommendations to improve communications reliability, integration efficiency, and fielded system performance.
• Oversee post-installation checkout, system verification, and operational readiness testing activities.
• Coordinate integration and regression testing efforts with Engineering and System Test.
• Support customer demonstrations, acceptance testing, and operational evaluations.
• Ensure disciplined execution of installation verification, calibration validation, and system readiness procedures.
• Serve as the primary technical interface between Shield AI, customers, ship crews, and program stakeholders during integration activities.
• Translate customer operational requirements into executable integration plans and technical solutions.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Flight Operations, System Test, and Program Management teams to resolve integration and operational issues.
• Ensure accurate documentation of installation configurations, calibration data, RF assessments, test results, and field observations.
• Develop and maintain installation procedures, integration checklists, and operational best practices.
• Standardize field integration workflows to improve scalability, repeatability, and operational efficiency.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM discipline.
• 8+ years of experience supporting field integration, system test, RF systems, maritime operations, or deployed technical operations.
• 3+ years of experience leading technical teams in operational or field environments.
• Strong understanding of RF communications systems, including:
• S-band
• C-band
• SATCOM/BLOS systems
• Antennas and RF distribution systems
• Experience with:
• Spectrum analyzers
• RF Components
• Link testing
• EMI/EMC mitigation
• Networking hardware and communications system
• Strong technical understanding of shipboard integration practices, maritime communications architectures, and operational deployment constraints.
• Ability to lead technical troubleshooting efforts across RF, networking, and system integration domains in operational environments.
• Strong communication and customer-facing skills with the ability to work effectively across engineering, operations, and customer teams.
• Willingness to travel as required to support critical integration events, customer operations, testing activities, and deployment support.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/UAV) or autonomous systems.
• Familiarity with military maritime platforms and naval integration processes.
• Prior experience supporting defense programs or operational military customers.
• Knowledge of shipboard safety standards and maritime integration constraints.
• Experience supporting developmental test, operational test, or flight test activities.
• Active U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one.
• Prior military service, especially within naval, aviation, communications, or electronic warfare fields.