Digital Factory Lead
Location: Frisco, TX
Salary: $140,000–$210,000 per year
Build the AI Factory of the Future
Shield AI is building an entirely new approach to aerospace manufacturing—one where software, automation, data, and artificial intelligence are embedded directly into the factory.
We are seeking a Digital Factory Lead to help architect and deploy the digital foundation that will power the next generation of autonomous aircraft production. This is a high-impact leadership role at the intersection of manufacturing, software, industrial automation, data, and AI.
You will own key elements of Shield AI's Digital Factory strategy, from implementing Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and connecting factory equipment to deploying AI-enabled tools that improve productivity, quality, traceability, and decision-making.
This is an opportunity to help define not only how Shield AI manufactures aircraft today, but how high-rate, intelligent, and increasingly autonomous aerospace manufacturing operates for years to come.
What You'll Do
Digital Factory Strategy & Leadership
- Develop and execute Shield AI's Digital Factory roadmap, aligning technology investments with manufacturing, quality, cost, delivery, and scalability objectives.
- Define the digital architecture required to support a rapidly scaling aerospace manufacturing operation.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives spanning manufacturing engineering, software, data, automation, quality, supply chain, IT, and operations.
- Translate manufacturing challenges into scalable digital and technology solutions.
- Establish standards, processes, and governance for factory digitalization and connected manufacturing.
- Build business cases, evaluate technology investments, and drive initiatives from concept through production deployment.
AI-Enabled Manufacturing
- Develop and execute an AI Manufacturing strategy focused on measurable improvements in production, quality, maintenance, supply chain, training, and operational decision-making.
- Identify high-value opportunities for AI, machine learning, advanced analytics, and automation across factory operations.
- Deploy AI-enabled capabilities such as intelligent work instructions, manufacturing copilots, predictive maintenance, automated root-cause analysis, anomaly detection, and production analytics.
- Partner with software, data science, and engineering teams to transform manufacturing data into production-ready AI solutions.
- Capture and digitize manufacturing knowledge to improve workforce productivity, training, consistency, and knowledge retention.
- Establish the data infrastructure and operational feedback loops necessary to continuously improve AI-enabled manufacturing systems.
Manufacturing Systems & Digital Thread
- Lead the implementation, configuration, integration, and continuous improvement of Shield AI's Manufacturing Execution System (MES).
- Establish a connected digital thread across engineering, manufacturing, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and production operations.
- Drive integration between MES, ERP, PLM, QMS, maintenance systems, factory automation, test equipment, and manufacturing assets.
- Define manufacturing data standards, interfaces, workflows, and system requirements.
- Improve production traceability, real-time visibility, production reporting, and operational decision-making through connected systems.
- Partner with system integrators and software teams to ensure solutions are scalable, reliable, secure, and production-ready.
Connected Factory & Industrial Infrastructure
- Define and deploy the digital architecture connecting production equipment, tooling, test systems, PLCs, sensors, machines, and industrial controls.
- Establish factory-wide connectivity and real-time visibility into equipment and production performance.
- Develop the data ecosystem required to support analytics, AI, automation, predictive maintenance, and future autonomous manufacturing capabilities.
- Partner with controls and automation engineers to integrate industrial systems with enterprise and manufacturing software platforms.
- Establish standards for equipment connectivity, data collection, system interoperability, and digital infrastructure.
- Identify opportunities to improve equipment utilization, throughput, reliability, and overall equipment effectiveness through connected technologies.
Factory Transformation & Automation
- Lead digital transformation initiatives across manufacturing, inspection, testing, material flow, and production support operations.
- Evaluate and deploy emerging technologies including machine vision, digital twins, autonomous inspection, robotics, advanced analytics, and next-generation manufacturing systems.
- Identify opportunities to eliminate manual processes, reduce manufacturing variability, and improve production scalability.
- Develop and track KPIs demonstrating the operational impact of digital factory investments.
- Support greenfield manufacturing initiatives and the development of future production lines.
- Help define the technology, systems, and processes required to support increasingly automated and autonomous aircraft manufacturing.
What You'll Bring
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Automation, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
- 8+ years of experience in digital manufacturing, manufacturing systems, industrial automation, software-enabled operations, Industry 4.0, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated experience implementing and scaling manufacturing technology such as MES, QMS, ERP, PLM, maintenance systems, manufacturing analytics, industrial automation, or connected factory platforms.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, industrial controls, factory automation, manufacturing data, and production systems.
- Experience integrating manufacturing systems with enterprise software, equipment, controls, sensors, or other industrial technologies.
- Experience working directly with software developers, data engineers, automation engineers, system integrators, and manufacturing teams to deliver production-ready solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional technology initiatives from strategy and requirements through implementation, deployment, and continuous improvement.
- Strong understanding of data architecture, system integration, APIs, databases, or other technologies supporting connected manufacturing environments.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment where requirements, technologies, and production needs evolve rapidly.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, electronics, advanced manufacturing, or other high-complexity manufacturing environments.
- Experience leading a greenfield factory launch, production line launch, or large-scale digital manufacturing transformation.
- Experience applying AI, machine learning, advanced analytics, computer vision, or digital twin technologies in an operational manufacturing environment.
- Experience with industrial communication protocols, connected equipment, PLCs, SCADA, IIoT, or edge computing.
- Experience with manufacturing data platforms, cloud technologies, APIs, or modern software architectures.
- Knowledge of AS9100, configuration management, product traceability, or other highly controlled manufacturing environments.
- Experience developing technology roadmaps, evaluating vendors, managing system integrators, and driving technology investments.
- Experience measuring digital transformation initiatives through improvements in throughput, quality, cycle time, cost, equipment utilization, and production scalability.
Why Shield AI?
Most manufacturers are working to digitize factories that were designed decades ago.
Shield AI is building an AI-native manufacturing environment from the ground up.
As Digital Factory Lead, you will have the opportunity to define the systems, infrastructure, data architecture, and AI-enabled capabilities that will shape how autonomous aircraft are manufactured at scale.
The technology you deploy will directly influence production speed, quality, traceability, workforce effectiveness, and manufacturing scalability—creating the foundation for Shield AI's next generation of aircraft and autonomous systems.
This is more than a digital transformation role. You will help build the factory of the future.