What you'll do:
- Be responsible for the architecture and design for all parts of the mechanical system in the X-BAT aircraft and ground vehicle, as they pertain to avionics
- A small team exists that you will inherit. From there, you will establish leads and sub-managers while growing the team significantly in the immediate and long term
- While you will not be expected to design as an individual contributor, you must have this experience in your past to establish what "right" looks like for your organization
- Partner closely with electrical engineering, RF, PCB design, reliability, supply chain, structures, manufacturing and other disciplines to drive full scope product delivery
- Your team will output complex electro-mechanical solutions for flight critical avionics systems that withstand harsh environments
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering
- 10+ years of experience in mechanical design around electronics and electrical systems
- Strong experience in CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or similar) for 3D modeling, drawing creation, and system layout
- Experience working with electrical engineers to develop avionics packaging
- Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), thermal analysis, and fatigue/lifecycle testing
- Experience working directly with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and suppliers
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with evolving priorities
- A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others
- Ability to obtain a Secret level security clearance
Skills Required
- B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
- 10+ years of mechanical design experience around electronics and electrical systems
- Hands-on past mechanical design experience to define technical standards and 'what right looks like'
- Strong experience with CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or similar) for 3D modeling, drawing creation, and system layout
- Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), thermal analysis, and fatigue/lifecycle testing
- Experience working with electrical engineers on avionics packaging and PCB/RF integration
- Experience working directly with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and suppliers
- Proven ability to hire, lead, and grow engineering teams (establish leads and sub-managers)
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with evolving priorities
- Ability to obtain a Secret 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 Teams
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
