# Director, Avionics Mechanical Engineering

**Company**: Shield AI
**Location**: Seattle, Washington
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: Full Time Employee
**Salary**: USD 265,000-398,000 per-year-salary
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/3360a96c-3595-4b8d-8c95-a48f26f1a051?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_f2d8752e-a5b

## Description

Shield AI is looking for a Director of Avionics Mechanical Engineering to build and lead the organization responsible for all mechanical, thermal, and harnessing (EWIS) design for the X-BAT aircraft and ground equipment.

You'll set the technical strategy and organizational structure, develop managers and technical leads, and be accountable for delivering flight-critical electro-mechanical hardware from concept through production.

As a senior member of the avionics leadership team, you'll partner with engineering, program, and operations leaders to shape architecture, schedule, and resourcing decisions.

## Responsibilities

- Own the technical vision, strategy, and roadmap for mechanical, thermal, and EWIS engineering across X-BAT flight and ground avionics

- Build and scale a multi-team organization: hire and develop managers and technical leads, define org structure, and plan headcount to meet near- and long-term program goals

- Be accountable for your organization's delivery of complex electro-mechanical hardware that survives harsh environments, from architecture through qualification and production

- Set engineering standards, design review practices, and processes for thermal, mechanical, and harness design of flight-critical avionics

- Serve as the final technical authority on key mechanical and thermal architecture tradeoffs, and escalate risk to program leadership with clear recommendations

- Partner with electrical engineering, RF, PCB design, reliability, structures, supply chain, and manufacturing leaders to drive full-scope product delivery

- Own organizational planning inputs, including resourcing, schedule commitments, supplier and contract manufacturer strategy, and make-vs-buy decisions

- Build a culture of extreme ownership, technical rigor, and accountability

## Required Qualifications

- B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

- 15+ years of experience in mechanical design around electronics and electrical systems, including significant early-career, hands-on design of enclosures, thermal solutions, and harness integration

- 5+ years of people leadership, including managing managers or leading multiple engineering teams

- Proven record of building and scaling engineering teams through rapid growth

- Record of delivering complex avionics or electro-mechanical hardware from concept through production

- Deep technical fluency in avionics packaging, FEA, thermal analysis, and fatigue and lifecycle testing

- Experience setting engineering strategy, standards, and processes across an organization

- Experience managing relationships with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and key suppliers

- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, agile environment with shifting priorities

- A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others

- Ability to obtain a Secret security clearance

## Skills

### Required
- Mechanical Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering
- Avionics Packaging
- FEA
- Thermal Analysis
- Fatigue and Lifecycle Testing
- Leadership
- Team Management

### Nice to have
- Experience leading hardware teams on aircraft
- Background in high-rate hardware production
- Experience with DO-160
- MIL-STD-810

---

Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/3360a96c-3595-4b8d-8c95-a48f26f1a051?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)