Shield AI is pioneering the development of AI-powered autonomous aircraft for national defense, pushing the boundaries of aerospace innovation. Our next-generation UAS is a high-endurance unmanned system designed for deployment in complex, contested environments.
We are seeking a Mechanical Engineer I to support the design, development, and testing of flight hardware and mechanical test systems. In this entry-level role, you will work alongside experienced engineers to develop fixed and field-deployable solutions for hardware qualification, environmental testing, stress testing, and sustainment.
You will gain hands-on experience in mechanical design, structural analysis, and aerospace test systems while collaborating with engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations teams.
What you'll do:
- Support the design, analysis, fabrication, and assembly of mechanical and structural systems.
- Create and revise CAD models, engineering drawings, and manufacturing specifications.
- Assist in designing structural and electromechanical test stands and fixtures for aeronautical components.
- Participate in prototyping, testing, troubleshooting, and design validation.
- Perform structural, thermal, and fatigue assessments with guidance from experienced engineers.
- Develop test procedures, document results, and communicate findings.
- Participate in design reviews and contribute ideas that improve reliability, manufacturability, and testability.
- Support coordination with manufacturing teams and suppliers during fabrication and assembly.
- Apply engineering fundamentals to hands-on technical problems in laboratory, shop, and field environments.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related STEM field.
- 0–2 years of relevant experience; internships, co-ops, research, and substantial academic projects may count toward this requirement.
- Foundational knowledge of mechanical engineering principles, physics, and mathematics.
- Experience with CAD software such as SolidWorks, CATIA, NX, or similar.
- Familiarity with engineering drawings, material selection, structural analysis, and common manufacturing processes.
- Hands-on experience building, testing, or troubleshooting mechanical systems.
- Ability to organize technical work, document results, and communicate effectively.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment with evolving priorities.
- Record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others.
Preferred qualifications:
- Internship, co-op, research, or project experience in aerospace, robotics, automotive, test engineering, or a related field.
- Familiarity with finite element analysis, thermal analysis, or fatigue and lifecycle testing.
- Experience designing or testing aerospace structures, test fixtures, or ground support equipment.
- Experience using machine-shop tools or rapid-prototyping methods.
- Exposure to instrumentation, sensors, data-acquisition systems, or electromechanical systems.
- Familiarity with hydraulics, nondestructive evaluation or testing, or aerospace testing practices.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related STEM field
- 0-2 years of relevant experience, including internships, co-ops, research, or substantial academic projects
- Foundational knowledge of mechanical engineering principles, physics, and mathematics
- Experience with CAD software such as SolidWorks, CATIA, NX, or similar
- Familiarity with engineering drawings, material selection, structural analysis, and common manufacturing processes
- Hands-on experience building, testing, or troubleshooting mechanical systems
- Ability to organize technical work, document results, and communicate effectively
- Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment with evolving priorities
- Internship, co-op, research, or project experience in aerospace, robotics, automotive, test engineering, or a related field
- Familiarity with finite element analysis, thermal analysis, or fatigue and lifecycle testing
- Experience designing or testing aerospace structures, test fixtures, or ground support equipment
- Experience using machine-shop tools or rapid-prototyping methods
- Exposure to instrumentation, sensors, data-acquisition systems, or electromechanical systems
- Familiarity with hydraulics, nondestructive evaluation or testing, or aerospace testing practices
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with mental-health support and an EAP. Third-party benefits summaries also portray health coverage as a strong component of the package.
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Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with employer matching, cited on the careers page and independent benefits directories. Multiple sources indicate a match exists, though exact formulas have varied over time and warrant confirmation.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Company communications describe equity for all full-time hires and stock benefits as part of total rewards. Independent listings also note company equity/RSUs as a standard element.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
