Staff Engineer - Mechanical

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:

We are seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer who can lead complex hardware efforts from concept through deployment. This individual will own mechanical design and system integration while developing high-quality, production-ready engineering definitions. 

The ideal candidate combines system-level technical leadership with deep, hands-on experience in 3D CAD, 2D production drawings, advanced GD&T, material selection, and manufacturing processes. This role will integrate electronics, RF systems, and composite structures into rugged, field-ready airborne platforms. 

What you'll do:

• Lead mechanical design and integration for airborne or ruggedized systems from concept through production and field deployment.

• Develop and review complex 3D CAD models, assemblies, interfaces, 2D production drawings, BOMs, and release packages.

• Establish functional datum structures, apply advanced GD&T, and perform tolerance analyses to ensure fit, function, interchangeability, and inspectability.

• Own system-level packaging of electronics, including radios, antennas, PCBAs, and harnessing.

• Design components and assemblies using metallics, plastics, composites, elastomers, adhesives, and other engineering materials.

• Select appropriate materials and manufacturing processes based on structural, thermal, environmental, producibility, cost, and schedule requirements. 

• Design for manufacturing processes including CNC machining, additive manufacturing, injection molding, composite fabrication, sheet metal, and bonded assembly.

• Drive cross-functional collaboration across electrical, RF, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and test teams.

• Serve as technical or project lead on select efforts, managing scope, schedule, risk, and technical execution.

• Lead design reviews and guide structural, thermal, tolerance, environmental, and manufacturability analyses.

• Support prototype builds, qualification, production integration, troubleshooting, and root-cause investigations.

• Ensure designs meet reliability, manufacturability, inspectability, maintainability, and performance requirements. 

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering field. 

• 8+ years of mechanical design and product-development experience, including demonstrated ownership of complex products or subsystems from concept through production.

• Advanced proficiency in GD&T and ASME Y14.5, including functional datum selection, position, profile, form and orientation controls, composite feature control frames, tolerance-zone modifiers, and design for inspection.

• Deep experience creating and releasing detailed 2D production drawings for complex parts and assemblies, demonstrated through a substantial body of work

• Strong proficiency with a production CAD platform such as NX, Creo, CATIA, SolidWorks, or Inventor, including complex part modeling, large assemblies, drawing creation, and revision-controlled release.

• Experience developing hardware using a broad range of materials, including metallics, engineering plastics, composites, elastomers, and structural adhesives.

• Practical design-for-manufacturing experience across multiple processes, including CNC machining, additive manufacturing, injection molding, composite fabrication, sheet metal, and bonded or mechanically fastened assembly.

• Strong understanding of material selection, tolerance analysis, manufacturing variation, assembly processes, and inspection methods.

• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, electrical engineering, supply chain, technicians, suppliers, and machine shops.

• Demonstrated ability to independently lead technical decisions and resolve complex design, manufacturing, and integration problems. 

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter.

• Experience designing and integrating airborne, aerospace, defense, or other ruggedized hardware.

• Experience packaging radios, antennas, PCBAs, sensors, connectors, and embedded electronics.

• Familiarity with coaxial cables, RF cables, wiring harnesses, bend-radius requirements, and connector integration.

• Experience designing composite structures and hybrid composite-metal assemblies.

• Understanding of electronics thermal management, grounding, shielding, and EMI/EMC considerations.

• Familiarity with environmental requirements involving vibration, shock, temperature, corrosion, and ingress protection.

• Experience with ground support equipment, test fixtures, or qualification hardware.

• Hands-on experience supporting prototype builds, production, environmental testing, and field troubleshooting. 

Leadership Expectations 

• Act as the technical lead for complex projects, systems, or major subsystems.

• Lead design reviews and make sound technical decisions with incomplete information.

• Review and approve CAD models, engineering drawings, tolerance schemes, material selections, and manufacturing approaches.

• Mentor engineers in mechanical design, GD&T, drawing creation, material selection, and design for manufacturing.

• Balance development speed with the rigor required to deliver reliable, production-ready aerospace hardware. 

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.