# Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer (R5161) **Company**: Shield AI **Location**: Dallas, Texas **Work arrangement**: onsite **Experience**: senior **Job type**: full-time **Salary**: $166,632-249,948 per year **Category**: Engineering **Industry**: Technology **Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/83df2a0d-c3c0-4daf-8818-117544460c26?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_9636beea-a5a ## Description Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to play a critical role in the development of structural components for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. As a senior member of the Mechanical Engineering team, you will own the design and development of high-performance structural systems, from clean-sheet concepts to production-ready hardware. You’ll work across disciplines to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and mission-readiness in one of the most advanced autonomous aircraft platforms being built today. This role is ideal for an experienced aerospace mechanical engineer who thrives in fast-paced, high-ownership environments and is passionate about building systems that matter. ### Responsibilities - Lead the design and development of structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next-gen UAV platform, with a focus 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. - Use FEA tools to perform and guide linear and nonlinear structural analysis, stress analysis, and margin assessment under operational loads and edge cases. - Work 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. ### Preferences - 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 #LI-MS1 #LE ## Skills ### Required - Mechanical Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - CAD tools (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) - FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar) - Stress analysis - Fatigue analysis - Design optimization - DFMA - GD&T - Tolerance stackups - Structural layout principles ### Nice to have - 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 --- Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/83df2a0d-c3c0-4daf-8818-117544460c26?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)