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Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
The Role
Lead and grow the mechanical engineering team responsible for avionics packaging, thermal, harnessing, and electro-mechanical design for the X-BAT aircraft and ground vehicle. Drive architecture, cross-functional integration, manufacturing readiness, and deliver flight-critical systems that endure harsh environments while hiring and mentoring engineering leads.
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.
Shield AI is seeking a Senior Manager of Mechanical Engineering to build and lead the team responsible for all mechanical design, thermal, and harnessing in the X-BAT aircraft and ground vehicle. You will establish the technical vision, hire top tier engineers, and partner with all other engineer team leads to execute cross-functionally. Extreme ownership is expected where your team will carry designs from concept through manufacturing. Team leads and managers at Shield are expected to have strong technical fundamentals and a history of experience being hands on.
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
#LI-JM2
#LE
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 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
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.
Gallery
Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Typical time on-site:
3 days a week
