Staff Engineer, Mass Properties - Ranger (R6353)

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

As a Mass Properties Engineer for Ranger, you will play a critical role in the development and optimization of autonomous aircraft systems, ensuring precise mass properties tracking and analysis throughout the product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in system-level trade studies to optimize payload, propulsion, power distribution, thermal management, and flight dynamics.
• Conduct mass properties estimation for early-stage designs, prototyping, and full-scale production.
• Estimate, calculate, and verify weight, center of gravity, and inertia properties for components, assemblies, and complete aircraft systems.
• Develop and refine analysis tools and methods for mass properties estimation and optimization.
• Generate and maintain mass properties reports for engineering, manufacturing, and leadership teams.
• Implement and execute mass properties verification tests to validate design assumptions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including aerodynamics, structures, avionics, propulsion, and manufacturing to ensure mass properties are controlled throughout development.
• Maintain and update the mass properties database to track weight trends across vehicle programs.

Required qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science/Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in mass properties analysis within aerospace, defense, or high-tech vehicle development.
• Proficiency in CAD software (SolidWorks, Siemens NX, or similar).
• Familiarity with mass properties industry standards (ATA100, SAWE RP A-7, RP 7, RP 8, or predecessors).
• Experience defining mass properties requirements and ensuring compliance across design iterations.
• Experience developing and maintaining a Mass Properties Management and Control Plan.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Additional Information

The salary for this position ranges from USD 170,000 to 260,000 per year. The full-time regular employee offer package includes pay within the range listed + bonus + benefits + equity.