Senior Fuel Systems Architect for Autonomous Aircraft

Shield; España; Hybrid; EUR 187,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Principal Fuel Systems Engineer to lead architecture, development, and validation of fuel systems for its advanced AI-powered aircraft. You will own the full lifecycle from concept through flight testing while mentoring others and driving technical excellence across the air vehicle portfolio.

This role requires 12–15+ years in aircraft fuel systems, strong fluid mechanics and CFD knowledge, and proficiency with ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, MATLAB/Simulink plus CAD tools.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• 12–15+ years in aircraft fuel systems or propulsion integration.
• Expertise in fuel system design, analysis and certification.
• Strong fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and CFD knowledge.
• Proficiency with ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, MATLAB/Simulink and CAD tools.
• FAA and MIL-STD certification familiarity.
• U.S. Citizenship; remote candidates may travel up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Architect end-to-end fuel systems for next-gen autonomous aircraft.
• Lead cross-functional integration across propulsion, structures, avionics.
• Model and analyze flow, vapor suppression, slosh, and thermal effects.
• Define performance requirements and verification strategies.
• Lead design reviews, trade studies and risk assessments.
• Oversee supplier selection, qualification and testing.
• Support ground and flight test campaigns with root-cause analysis.
• Mentor engineers and develop integration/testing processes.
• Contribute to long-term tech roadmaps including hybrid-electric systems.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

B.S./M.S. in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ANSYS Fluent

OpenFOAM

MATLAB/Simulink

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Principal Fuel Systems Engineer to lead architecture, development, and validation of fuel systems for its advanced AI-powered aircraft. You will own the full lifecycle from concept through flight testing while mentoring others and driving technical excellence across the air vehicle portfolio.

This role requires 12–15+ years in aircraft fuel systems, strong fluid mechanics and CFD knowledge, and proficiency with ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, MATLAB/Simulink plus CAD tools.