Staff Engineer, Structural Designer
Shield AI is a U.S. defense-technology company developing mission-autonomy software and autonomous aircraft for military and allied operations.
Funding history
Investors
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI builds Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft for operations in contested, GPS- and communications-denied environments. Its current site also presents Aechelon synthetic-reality simulation and Vision Systems detection and tracking products.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will contribute to the mechanical design and development of autonomous UAV products, architecting new products and performing detailed design of complex structural systems for the launch and recovery vehicle. You will own the design process from concept through CAD, tolerance analysis, material selection and drawing release, run structural and kinematic calculations and preliminary FEA, and prototype and test mechanisms. You will work with electrical, avionics, flight controls, manufacturing and test teams to support builds and ground/flight testing.
Requirements
- B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering
- 7+ years in mechanical or mechanism design for ground vehicles
- Strong CAD skills (NX preferred)
- Kinematic analysis and optimization
- Structural analysis using hand calculations and finite element methods
- FEA: modal, non-linear and linear, buckling, fatigue
- GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
- Materials selection including alloys, heat treatments, allowables, and finishes
- Ability to work independently in fast-paced, cross-functional teams
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired
Responsibilities
- Design complex structures for the autonomous aircraft launch and recovery system
- Own the full design process: concept, CAD, tolerance analysis, material selection, and drawing release
- Perform structural and kinematic calculations and preliminary FEA
- Prototype, test, and iterate mechanism designs for functionality and reliability
- Collaborate with electrical, avionics, flight controls, manufacturing, and test teams
- Support pre-production builds, prototype integration, and ground/flight testing
- Participate in design reviews, architecture discussions, and technical decision-making forums
- Improve design processes, configuration management, and team workflows
Benefits
- Bonus
- Benefits
- Equity