Aerospace Structural Design Engineer II – UAV Platforms

Shield AI; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 88,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI seeks an Aerostructures Design Engineer II to develop structural components for next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will own designs from concept to production, ensuring structural integrity and manufacturability while coordinating with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams.

You’ll perform stress calculations, contribute to design reviews, and generate detailed documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or aerospace structures.
• Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments.
• Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths.
• Proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar).
• Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA principles.
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next-generation UAV platform, supporting both primary and secondary aircraft structures.
• Execute all stages of the design lifecycle including conceptual development, initial CAD modeling, detailed design, and drawing release.
• Perform hand calculations for stress or strain with limited basic FEA analysis, with guidance from senior engineers as needed.
• Collaborate closely with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support system integration across airframe interfaces.
• Support structural validation efforts including coupon testing, subcomponent testing, and system-level verification.
• Generate high-quality design documentation, drawings, interface definitions, and analysis reports in compliance with aerospace standards.
• Partner with manufacturing and flight test teams to resolve build issues and support hardware through test and deployment.
• Participate in design reviews and technical discussions, presenting work clearly and incorporating feedback effectively.
• Continuously improve personal technical depth in structural layout, joints, fasteners, tolerancing, and structural optimization.

Skills

Technical communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Attention to detail

Ownership in fast-paced environments

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX/CATIA/SolidWorks

Job description

Shield AI seeks an Aerostructures Design Engineer II to develop structural components for next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will own designs from concept to production, ensuring structural integrity and manufacturability while coordinating with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams.

You’ll perform stress calculations, contribute to design reviews, and generate detailed documentation.