REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience: 6+ years of fluid systems design, thermal systems analysis, or mechanical systems installation experience in aerospace or a comparable regulated industry.
- Education: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Core Fundamentals: Deep mastery of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical design fundamentals, and tolerance stack-up methodologies.
- Modeling and Analysis: Demonstrated capability with fluid system sizing and analysis, including pressure drop, flow networks, heat transfer, and 1D fluid or thermal system modeling.
- System Layout and Integration: Demonstrated ability to create fluid-system layouts and mechanical installations that satisfy routing, packaging, maintainability, structural-interface, and vehicle-integration requirements.
- CAD and PLM: Experience in 3D CAD modeling, routing, layouts, and drawing release with Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent PLM workflows.
- Mechanical Design: Hands-on capability designing brackets, mounts, supports, and installation hardware using hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and basic structural analysis.
- Hardware and Supplier Execution: Proven track record sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups.
- Autonomy: Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Aircraft ram-air, liquid cooling, hydraulic, fuel, or thermal transport loop design experience.
- ECS or thermal management system design and integration experience.
- Experience with electro-mechanical or electro-hydrostatic actuation systems and associated mechanical installations.
- Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-516, and airworthiness verification planning for fluid and mechanical systems.
- Hands-on prototype-build, fabrication, or mechanical assembly experience in a rapid R&D environment.
- Eligible to obtain a Secret clearance.
Skills Required
- 6+ years of fluid systems design, thermal systems analysis, or mechanical systems installation experience in aerospace or a comparable regulated industry
- B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Deep mastery of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical design fundamentals, and tolerance stack-up methodologies
- Experience with fluid system sizing and analysis, including pressure drop, flow networks, heat transfer, and 1D fluid or thermal system modeling
- Ability to create fluid-system layouts and mechanical installations meeting routing, packaging, maintainability, structural-interface, and vehicle-integration requirements
- Experience with 3D CAD modeling, routing, layouts, drawing release, and PLM workflows using Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent
- Hands-on capability designing brackets, mounts, supports, and installation hardware using hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and basic structural analysis
- Experience sourcing COTS or custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups
- Ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines
- Aircraft ram-air, liquid cooling, hydraulic, fuel, or thermal transport loop design experience
- ECS or thermal management system design and integration experience
- Experience with electro-mechanical or electro-hydrostatic actuation systems and associated mechanical installations
- Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-516, and airworthiness verification planning
- Hands-on prototype-build, fabrication, or mechanical assembly experience in a rapid R&D environment
- Eligible to obtain a Secret clearance
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with mental-health support and an EAP. Third-party benefits summaries also portray health coverage as a strong component of the package.
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Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with employer matching, cited on the careers page and independent benefits directories. Multiple sources indicate a match exists, though exact formulas have varied over time and warrant confirmation.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Company communications describe equity for all full-time hires and stock benefits as part of total rewards. Independent listings also note company equity/RSUs as a standard element.
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.
