Shield AI

Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer - Harness Design (R3935)

Sorry, this job was removed at 08:22 p.m. (UTC) on Friday, Jan 09, 2026

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2 Locations

In-Office

167K-250K Annually

Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software

Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

The Role

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 nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the 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 on a mission to build the world’s best AI pilot—and we’re looking for a Senior Staff Harness Design Engineer to help power that vision. In this high-impact, high-ownership role, you’ll take the lead in architecting and designing the complex wire harnesses and cable assemblies that are the nervous system of our next-generation autonomous UAV platform.

Your deep expertise in harness design won’t just support the mission—it will enable it. From concept to deployment, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring reliability, precision, and performance in the field, where failure is not an option.

If you’re passionate about cutting-edge aerospace technology and want to build systems that make a real-world difference, this is your chance to make your mark—on the ground and in the skies.

What you'll do:

Lead design of wire harnesses and cable assemblies for autonomous UAVs
Own harness design process: concept, 3D CAD routing, analysis, and drawing release
Perform electrical and environmental analysis for harness reliability
Prototype and test harnesses in dynamic, mission-critical environments
Collaborate with avionics, systems, and manufacturing teams for integration
Mentor engineers and drive harness design best practices

Required qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
8+ years in wire harness design for aerospace or robotics
Strong CAD skills (NX or CATIA preferred) for 3D harness modeling
Experience using EWIS design software (Zuken, Capital, etc)
Expertise in GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards
Experience with electrical schematics and connector selection
Hands-on experience with harness fabrication or testing
Ability to work independently and lead in fast-paced, cross-functional teams
A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others

Preferred qualifications:

Experience designing harnesses for UAVs, aircraft, or spacecraft
Familiarity with EWIS compliance and RTCA DO-160 testing
Proficiency in failure mode analysis (FMEA) and root cause investigations
Knowledge of Teamcenter or similar PLM systems

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.

What the Team is Saying

Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights

Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage includes medical, dental, vision, and mental-health support, with company materials describing excellent coverage. Feedback suggests these offerings are comprehensive and consistently highlighted across official and third-party benefit lists.
Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full-time hires, with RSU structures and tools like Carta Tax intended to improve understanding and tax timing. Feedback suggests this broad-based ownership approach is a notable component of total rewards.
Parental & Family Support — Benefits include paid parental leave, fertility support, childcare benefits, family medical leave, and onsite resources such as a Mother's Room. Feedback suggests the family-oriented offerings are more expansive than basic coverage.

Learn more about Shield AI's Compensation & Benefits →

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Shield AI

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.