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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn,X, YouTubeand Instagram.
Job Description:
We are seeking a Principal Propulsion Engineer to serve as a senior technical leader within our jet propulsion team, supporting our next-generation UAV platform powered by a low-bypass turbofan engine. While this role does not directly own engine hardware, it demands the expertise and presence of someone who has provided strategic guidance, technical oversight, and mentorship to the engineers who do.
The ideal candidate has deep experience across the entire engine lifecycle and can spot risks before they become issues, uncover design weaknesses before they surface in test, and lead the team through rapid, high-confidence resolution of complex propulsion challenges. You should bring technical mastery, planning foresight, and system-level awareness that raises the bar for engine ownership across the organization.
What you will do in this role:
- Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engine REs across concept development, design, test, and flight.
- Guide teams through system-level tradeoffs, performance margin closure, and mission-readiness validation.
- Anticipate integration, control, or operability risks before they materialize, and shape mitigation strategies.
- Drive and facilitate root cause investigations for engine-related anomalies and failures.
- Review and challenge engine designs, control strategies, instrumentation plans, and data interpretation.
- Help shape the long-term technical roadmap for engine capability, test maturity, and team development.
- Influence engineering processes, best practices, and team alignment across propulsion and vehicle-level teams.
- Act as a trusted voice in design reviews, leadership strategy sessions, and customer technical engagements.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
- 15+ years of experience in jet engine development, test, and integration.
- Demonstrated mastery of all responsibilities and qualifications expected of less senior Propulsion Engineers, including full lifecycle engine ownership.
- Deep experience with engine performance modeling, transient behavior, test planning, and instrumentation.
- Proven ability to lead teams through failure analysis, root cause, and corrective action at the system level.
- Strong command of aerospace propulsion fundamentals, engine/airframe integration, and mission-level performance impact.
- Proficiency in Python or similar for data analysis, automation, and performance modeling.
- U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with low-bypass turbofan engines for UAVs, tactical aircraft, or similar aerospace platforms.
- Familiarity with GFSSP, REFPROP, ANSYS, or FEA for thermal, fluid, or structural modeling.
- Background in rocket propulsion, especially in turbomachinery, controls, or test-intensive environments.
- Experience developing or enforcing engineering standards, team processes, and integration frameworks.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
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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.
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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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