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:
We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design, develop, and release production-ready hardware for the V-BAT aircraft. This individual will own the mechanical design of components and subsystems from concept through production, working closely with electrical, RF, manufacturing, and test teams.
The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience in 3D CAD, 2D production drawings, GD&T, material selection, and design for manufacturing. This role will help integrate electronics, RF systems, and composite structures into rugged, field-ready airborne platforms.
What you'll do:
- Design and integrate mechanical components and subsystems for airborne or ruggedized systems, from concept through production.
- Create 3D CAD models, assemblies, 2D production drawings, BOMs, and release packages.
- Apply GD&T and perform tolerance analyses to ensure fit, function, interchangeability, and inspectability.
- Package electronics, including radios, antennas, PCBAs, and harnessing, within assigned subsystems.
- Design components and assemblies using metallics, plastics, composites, elastomers, adhesives, and other engineering materials.
- Select materials and manufacturing processes based on structural, thermal, environmental, cost, and schedule requirements.
- Design for manufacturing processes including CNC machining, additive manufacturing, injection molding, composite fabrication, sheet metal, and bonded assembly.
- Collaborate with electrical, RF, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and test teams to deliver integrated hardware.
- Present work in design reviews and perform or support structural, thermal, tolerance, and manufacturability analyses.
- Support prototype builds, qualification testing, production integration, troubleshooting, and root-cause investigations.
- Ensure designs meet reliability, manufacturability, inspectability, maintainability, and performance requirements.
Required qualifications;
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering field.
- 5+ years of mechanical design and product-development experience, including ownership of parts or subsystems through production release.
- Strong working knowledge of GD&T and ASME Y14.5, including datum selection, position, profile, form and orientation controls, and design for inspection.
- Experience creating and releasing detailed 2D production drawings for parts and assemblies.
- Proficiency with a production CAD platform such as NX, Creo, CATIA, SolidWorks, or Inventor, including part modeling, assemblies, drawing creation, and revision-controlled release.
- Experience designing hardware with a range of materials, such as metallics, engineering plastics, composites, elastomers, and adhesives.
- Practical design-for-manufacturing experience with multiple processes, such as CNC machining, additive manufacturing, injection molding, composite fabrication, sheet metal, and fastened or bonded assembly.
- Working understanding of material selection, tolerance analysis, manufacturing variation, assembly processes, and inspection methods.
- Ability to work cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, electrical engineering, supply chain, technicians, suppliers, and machine shops.
- Ability to work independently on assigned tasks and solve design, manufacturing, and integration problems with minimal supervision.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter.
- Experience designing airborne, aerospace, defense, or other ruggedized hardware.
- Experience packaging radios, antennas, PCBAs, sensors, connectors, and embedded electronics.
- Familiarity with coaxial and RF cables, wiring harnesses, bend-radius requirements, and connector integration.
- Experience designing composite structures or hybrid composite-metal assemblies.
- Understanding of electronics thermal management, grounding, shielding, and EMI/EMC considerations.
- Familiarity with environmental requirements involving vibration, shock, temperature, corrosion, and ingress protection.
- Experience with ground support equipment, test fixtures, or qualification hardware.
- Hands-on experience supporting prototype builds, production, environmental testing, and field troubleshooting.
What Success Looks Like:
- Independently own the design of assigned parts and subsystems from concept to release.
- Deliver clean, accurate, and inspectable CAD models and drawings with minimal rework.
- Make sound design decisions and know when to escalate technical risks.
- Share knowledge with peers and support junior engineers and technicians when needed.
- Balance development speed with the rigor required to deliver reliable, production-ready aerospace hardware.
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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.