Inactive

Shield AI

Builds autonomous aircraft for defense

Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer

Materials & StructuresPosted on Jun 10

Full-timeSeattle, WA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's or master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline is required.
At least 8 years of experience in aircraft structural design or closely related aerospace structures is required.
Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments is required.
Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, including fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths, is required.
Proficiency in CAD tools such as NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks, or similar tools, is required.
Understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance stackups, and design for manufacturing and assembly principles is required.
Strong written and verbal technical communication skills are required.
Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments is required.
Ability to obtain an S//SAR level security clearance is desired.

Responsibilities

Design and develop structural components and assemblies for the next-generation UAV platform, supporting primary and secondary aircraft structures.
Execute the design lifecycle, including conceptual development, initial computer-aided design modeling, detailed design, and drawing release.
Perform hand calculations for stress or strain and limited basic finite element analysis with guidance from senior engineers as needed.
Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support system integration across airframe interfaces.
Support structural validation efforts, including coupon testing, subcomponent testing, and system-level verification.
Generate design documentation, drawings, interface definitions, and analysis reports in compliance with aerospace standards.
Partner with manufacturing and flight test teams to resolve build issues and support hardware through test and deployment.
Participate in design reviews and technical discussions, present work, and incorporate feedback.
Improve technical depth in structural layout, joints, fasteners, tolerancing, and structural optimization.

Desired Qualifications

A master's degree in Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering is preferred.
Experience supporting UAV, Department of Defense, or aerospace vehicle programs is preferred.
Familiarity with aerospace standards, including MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, and FAA standards, is preferred.
Experience supporting hardware through test, failure analysis, and design iteration is preferred.
Exposure to composite design and manufacturing methods is preferred.
Experience using finite element analysis tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, or NASTRAN for linear structural analysis is preferred.

Salary Range: 160000 to 240000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to support the development of structural components for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. As a key contributor on the Mechanical Engineering team, you will design and develop high-performance structural components from concept through production release.

You’ll work cross-functionally to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and system integration across one of the most advanced autonomous aircraft platforms being built today. This role is ideal for an aerospace mechanical engineer who thrives in hands-on design environments and is eager to take increasing ownership of flight-critical designs.

What you'll do:

Design and develop structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next-generation UAV platform, supporting both primary and secondary aircraft structures.

Execute all stages of the design lifecycle including conceptual development, initial CAD modeling, detailed design, and drawing release.

Perform hand calculations for stress or strain with limited basic FEA analysis, with guidance from senior engineers as needed.

Collaborate closely with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support system integration across airframe interfaces.

Support structural validation efforts including coupon testing, subcomponent testing, and system-level verification.

Generate high-quality design documentation, drawings, interface definitions, and analysis reports in compliance with aerospace standards.

Partner with manufacturing and flight test teams to resolve build issues and support hardware through test and deployment.

Participate in design reviews and technical discussions, presenting work clearly and incorporating feedback effectively.

Continuously improve personal technical depth in structural layout, joints, fasteners, tolerancing, and structural optimization.

Required qualifications:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.

8+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or closely related aerospace structures.

Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments.

Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, including fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths.

Proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar).

Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA principles.

Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.

Demonstrated ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments

Ability to get a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Preferred qualifications:

M.S. degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.

Experience supporting UAV, DoD, or aerospace vehicle programs.

Familiarity with aerospace standards (MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA).

Experience supporting hardware through test, failure analysis, and design iteration.

Exposure to composite design and manufacturing methods.

Experience using FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar) for linear structural analysis

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#LD

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

About the Company

Shield AI

Builds autonomous aircraft for defense

Shield AI builds autonomous aircraft and flight software for military and allied defense customers, with a focus on operations where conventional remote control breaks down. Its Hivemind AI pilot handles decisions during a mission, while the V-BAT aircraft gathers intelligence and locates targets. Aircraft makers use its software tools to develop and test their own autonomy, and its Aechelon business supplies visual and sensor simulation for pilot training. The company earns money from aircraft sales, autonomy software and contracted engineering and operational services. Shield AI was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: Series H
Total funding: $4.8B
Headquarters: San Diego, CA
Founded: 2015

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