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, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. 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.
Job Description:
As the Battery system mechanical lead, you will be responsible for all mechanical aspects of battery systems for X-BAT, the Launch and Recovery Vehicle, and ground equipment. This includes battery enclosure design, internal cell packaging and interconnection, qualification, integration, and release to manufacturing.
You will help us build a team of world-class engineers to support all design needs. A vertically integrated battery pack design will enable top performance, ease of integration, reliability, and rapid supply chain procurement. If you enjoy working cross-functionally and solving hard problems, please apply!
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
Define mechanical specifications and execute the battery system external enclosure, thermal management and environmental protection for X-BAT, and the ground Launch and Recovery Vehicle.
Drive optimal performance while managing size, weight, DFM, safety, and reliability
Hands-on prototyping, testing, qualification, and handoff to production
Define assembly drawings, designing for tolerance, assembly, and serviceability
Ensure system performance and reliability are met through rigorous system-level shock, vibration, ingress, and thermal verification
Investigate root-cause for the mechanical package, environmental, manufacturing, etc.
Support design reviews, drive execution of assigned engineering deliverables in support of program objectives
Work in a fast-paced environment
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
You have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
Aerospace enclosure design experience on large aircraft, or an equivalent system (rocket, satellite, submarine, automotive, etc.)
5+ years relevant experience
Have delivered aerospace systems to market
Proficient with mechanical engineering development tools, simulation, and test equipment
Strong technical fundamentals and analysis
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
- 5+ years of experience
- Strong technical fundamentals in mechanics, thermal design, and electronics
- Experience designing and delivering a battery product to market
- Proficiency in CAD modeling
- Experience with various manufacturing processes
What the Team is Saying
What We Do
At Shield 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 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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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
