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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Lead design and delivery of flight-critical power electronics for the X-BAT aircraft, including inverters, DC-DC converters, and battery management. Own full hardware development cycle, drive PCB layout, harden designs for harsh environments, mentor engineers, lead reviews, and manage program timelines through production.
Summary Generated by Built In
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
Shield AI is redefining autonomous aviation with cutting-edge AI and GPS/RF-denied navigation technologies. Now, we’re building our next-generation aircraft XBAT like no other—one that will push the boundaries of innovation and performance.
We’re looking for a Principal Power Electronics Engineer to own the design of power electronics and the system they integrate with on the X-BAT aircraft. This includes architecture and converter design, development, and delivery across our aircraft programs. You will define requirements and be responsible for design from concept to production. If you excel in cross-functional collaboration, thrive in fast-moving environments, and are passionate about pushing the limits of power system design, we want to hear from you.
What you'll do:
- Own flight critical power system design for X-BAT
- Design power electronics for the high voltage and low voltage systems. This includes inverters, DC-DC converters, battery management, and other power electronics
- Lead others to execute design, verification, and manufacturing deployment
- Provide mentorship and technical feedback to others on the power team and cross-functionally
- Harden the designs for harsh environments such as shock/vibe, high reliability, radiation, and high-altitude
- Work on power sub-systems and designs for both low power (<1 kW) and high power (>10 kW)
- Full-cycle hardware development: Own the entire flow — concept, modeling, worst case analysis, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, design reiteration for improving design maturity, testing and validation
- PCB ownership: Drive PCB layout and design with ECAD engineers, optimizing for power density, EMI, thermal, and manufacturability
- Design for Safety, Manufacturability and Reliability: Design robust systems keeping in mind best practices for safety, manufacturing and reliability
- Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with Mechanical, CAD, Embedded, Software, Supply Chain, Test Automation, Production and various aircraft teams throughout the product lifecycle
- Design review leadership: Lead and contribute to cross-functional reviews ensuring robust, high-integrity engineering decisions. Mentor junior engineers that support your design
- Program execution: Manage project timelines, deliverables, and technical milestones to drive on-time, high-quality outcomes
Required qualifications:
- You have a B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
- You have 10+ years of experience as an Electrical Engineer
- You are experienced with: circuit design, schematic capture, component selection, circuit testing, and debugging
- You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others
- Familiarity with Altium or equivalent
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
#LI-JM2
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Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
- 10+ years of experience as an Electrical Engineer
- Experience with circuit design, schematic capture, component selection, circuit testing, and debugging
- Familiarity with Altium or equivalent ECAD tools
- Demonstrated teamwork, high standards, trustworthiness, and professionalism
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance
What the Team is Saying
Dylan
Lead Engineer, Planning and Controls-Motion
Mo
Lead Engineer, Platform Automation
Willy
Technical Director
Michael
Engineering Manager - State Estimation
Vibhav
Senior Staff Engineer
Kirby
Mechanical Engineer
Ryan
CEO
Evan
Senior Machine Learning Engineer
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.
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The Company
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
