# Principal Aerostructures Design Engineer (R4721)

**Company**: Shield AI
**Location**: United States
**Work arrangement**: remote
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $190,000 - $290,000 a year
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/4bc0d612-d68b-43ce-8bb2-19e07d0577c7
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_c20ebf8f-0e3

## Description

Shield AI is seeking a Principal Structural 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.

### Qualifications:

- 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.

### 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.

## Skills

### Required
- CAD tools (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks)
- FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar)
- Aerospace standards (MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA FARS)
- Composite and metallic structures
- Material behavior, joints, and thermal/environmental effects
- Stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and design optimization
- DFMA, GD&T, tolerance stackups, and 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