Shield AI is on a mission to build the world’s best aircraft—and we’re looking for a Harness Design Engineer to help power that vision. In this high-impact, high-ownership role, you’ll be designing complex wire harnesses and cable assemblies that are the nervous system of X-BAT, our next-generation autonomous UAV platform.
Your expertise in harness design won’t just support the mission—it will enable it. From concept to deployment, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring reliability, precision, and performance in the field, where failure is not an option.
If you’re passionate about cutting-edge aerospace technology and want to build systems that make a real-world difference, this is your chance to make your mark—on the ground and in the skies.
What you'll do:
- Design wire harnesses and cable assemblies for X-BAT and supporting ground equipment
- Collaborate with electrical engineering to define connector selection, current/voltage requirements, shielding, and other design aspects
- Perform electrical, mechanical, and environmental analysis for harness reliability
- Prototype and test harnesses in dynamic, mission-critical environments
- Collaborate with avionics, systems, supply chain, and manufacturing teams for integration
- Lead technicians in building, testing, and debugging various parts of the EWIS system
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
- 0-2 years working with wire harness designs for automotive, aerospace, or robotics. Professional, personal, or club experience is acceptable
- 3D CAD modeling tool experience, such as NX or CATIA
- Knowledge of GD&T best practices, tolerance stack-ups, and IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards
- Experience with electrical schematics and connector selection
- Hands-on experience with harness fabrication or testing
- Ability to work independently in fast-paced, cross-functional teams
- A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
- 0-2 years working with wire harness designs for automotive, aerospace, or robotics (professional, personal, or club experience acceptable)
- 3D CAD modeling tool experience such as NX or CATIA
- Knowledge of GD&T best practices and tolerance stack-ups
- Familiarity with IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards
- Experience with electrical schematics and connector selection
- Hands-on experience with harness fabrication or testing
- Ability to work independently in fast-paced, cross-functional teams
- Demonstrated strong work ethic, trustworthiness, high standards, and interpersonal kindness
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
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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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
