Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer (R5846)

Shield AI is seeking a highly motivated Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to support the design, development, integration, and fielding of a next-generation autonomous aircraft system. This position requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Lead the design and development of structural components and assemblies for Shield AI's next-gen UAV platform, focusing on primary and secondary aircraft structures.
• Own the structural design lifecycle, including concept generation, CAD modeling, detail design, and drawing release, ensuring high quality and traceability.
• Utilize FEA tools to perform and guide linear and nonlinear structural analysis, stress analysis, and margin assessment under operational loads and edge cases.
• Collaborate closely with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless system integration across airframe and subsystem interfaces.
• Support and lead efforts in material selection, focusing on composites, aluminum alloys, and advanced manufacturing approaches suited to mission and environment.
• Participate in and lead design reviews, architecture discussions, and technical decision-making forums related to structural systems.
• Oversee the design and execution of structural validation testing, including coupon-level, subcomponent, and full-system testing.
• Guide the development of design documentation, analysis reports, interface definitions, and verification plans in compliance with MIL-STD, FAA, and internal Shield AI standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and review team members' work for technical rigor, performance, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with the manufacturing and flight test teams to transition designs from engineering to production and field deployment.
• Identify opportunities to improve design processes, configuration management, and team workflows for increased engineering velocity and design quality.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in aircraft structural design, with demonstrated ownership of components or systems in development, test, or production.
• Deep understanding of composite and metallic structures, including material behavior, joints, and thermal/environmental effects.
• Expertise in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar).
• Experience conducting or overseeing stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and design optimization.
• Strong working knowledge of DFMA, GD&T, tolerance stackups, and structural layout principles.
• Clear, concise technical communication skills and experience leading cross-functional engineering efforts.
• A track record of technical excellence, high ownership, and a mission-driven mindset in challenging engineering environments.
• Ability to get a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Strong NX CAD skills.
• Experience supporting or leading Group 3–5 UAV, DoD aircraft, or high-performance aerospace vehicle programs.
• Knowledge of aerospace standards (MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA FARS) and certification pathways.
• Prior experience in flight vehicle integration, manufacturing liaison, or production support.
• Familiarity with model-based engineering, digital twin development, or configuration management tools.
• Demonstrated experience in failure analysis, design iteration, and test correlation.
• Previous work in startup, R&D, or high-growth defense environments where agility and innovation are key.

Additional Information

• Salary: USD 170,000-260,000 per-year-salary
• 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)