Job Description:
Are you a passionate and innovative Thermal Engineer looking to help develop state of the art aircraft? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission driven and values focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you!
As a Thermal Engineer at Shield AI, you will lead the design, analysis, and integration of aircraft avionics thermal management systems. We are designing a high voltage, high power system using custom power electronics and energy storage. This role is best suited for an engineer who thrives on first-principles problem solving, is comfortable with design challenges, and values extreme ownership. The engineer will be a key contributor in ensuring robust thermal solutions that meet mission-critical aerospace requirements.
What you'll do:
- Own thermal analysis and design efforts for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics including custom power electronics
- Develop and validate analytical, numerical, and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow using hand calculations and CFD tools such as FloEFD
- Provide input to trade studies, system architecture decisions, and risk assessments
- Assist cross-functional teams designing power electronic circuits and environmental enclosures
- Contribute to design requirements that impact circuit part selection, board layout, material selection, and other design aspects
- Drive test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results
- Communicate technical findings clearly through executive-level briefings, design reviews, and written reports
- Proactively identify risks, propose solutions, and influence electrical and/or PCBA design direction
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
- Internship or engineering club experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering
- Knowledge of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics
- Familiarity with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+)
- Experience with CAD design tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or similar
- Demonstrated experience applying first-principles reasoning to engineering problems
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of leading technical discussions and presenting to stakeholders
- Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new tools, processes, and technical challenges in a fast paced, startup environment
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Skills Required
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
- Internship or engineering club experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering
- Knowledge of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics
- Familiarity with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+)
- Experience with CAD design tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or similar
- Demonstrated experience applying first-principles reasoning to engineering problems
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience leading technical discussions and presenting to stakeholders
- Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new tools, processes, and technical challenges in a fast paced, startup environment
- 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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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
