# Senior Staff Engineer, Mechanical Design - V-BAT

**Company**: Shield AI
**Location**: Dallas
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $160,000 - $240,000 a year
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/04d7771a-f6d7-45f0-bbc4-47ce0d9be812
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_c4b01ee8-6bb

## Description

Shield AI is pioneering the development of AI-powered autonomous aircraft for national defence, pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation. The V-BAT is a Group 3 unmanned system designed for deployment in complex, contested environments.

We are seeking a Senior Staff Mechanical Design Engineer to lead the design, development, and testing of systems to expand and scale V-BAT's capabilities and mission impact. This role is instrumental in creating robust, field-deployable systems that enable aircraft operations, maintenance, and sustainment in military environments.

Key responsibilities include:

Designing and developing mechanical systems for V-BAT, including payloads, power/propulsion designs, transport structures, launch & recovery systems, and more.
Creating detailed CAD models, drawings, and specifications for manufacturing and assembly.
Conducting structural, thermal, and fatigue analysis to ensure durability and reliability of systems in field environments.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams to integrate designs with aircraft systems and mission operations.
Performing trade studies and system optimization to enhance portability, ruggedness, and maintainability of support systems.
Overseeing prototyping, testing, and validation of designs to meet military and aviation standards.
Developing technical documentation, test procedures, and support manuals for field operations.
Working with suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure cost-effective production and sustainment of designed systems.
Supporting flight test campaigns by providing engineering support for ground systems and test operations.

Requirements include:

8+ years of experience in mechanical design for aerospace, ground support equipment, or heavy industrial systems.
Expertise in CAD software (SolidWorks, CATIA, NX, or similar) for 3D modeling, drawing creation, and system layout.
Strong background in structural analysis, material selection, and manufacturing processes for ruggedized systems.
Experience designing deployable, transportable, and field-ready aerospace support equipment.
Knowledge of MIL-STD design requirements for aerospace ground support systems.
Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), thermal analysis, and fatigue/lifecycle testing.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with evolving priorities.

## Skills

### Required
- mechanical design
- CAD software
- structural analysis
- material selection
- manufacturing processes
- MIL-STD design requirements
- finite element analysis
- thermal analysis
- fatigue/lifecycle testing