Aerostructures Design Manager - Lead Structural Team

Shieldai; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking an Aerostructures Design Manager to lead the design and development of high‑performance structural components for its next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will drive concept through production release, ensuring integrity, manufacturability, and system integration with cross‑functional teams in a fast‑paced environment.

The role requires extensive hands‑on design experience with both composite and metallic airframes, plus demonstrated leadership in a project or IPT

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or closely related aerospace structures.
• Experience with team leadership as a project or IPT style team lead
• Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments.
• Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, including 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.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments.
• M.S. degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience supporting UAV, DoD, or aerospace full vehicle programs.
• Familiarity with aerospace standards (MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA).
• Experience fabricating and testing large scale aerospace structures such as wings, fuselages or similar.
• Demonstrated understanding of composite manufacturing methods.
• Experience using FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar) for linear structural analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of high-performance structural components through concept to production release.
• Ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and system integration across autonomous aircraft platforms.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet program milestones and quality targets.
• Guide implementation of DFMA principles and oversee testing and validation activities.

Skills

Team leadership

Aerospace structures

CAD tools

GD&T

Technical communication

Fast-paced environment

UAV/DoD experience

Education

MS in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

ANSYS/ABAQUS/NASTRAN

Job description

Shield AI is seeking an Aerostructures Design Manager to lead the design and development of high‑performance structural components for its next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will drive concept through production release, ensuring integrity, manufacturability, and system integration with cross‑functional teams in a fast‑paced environment.

The role requires extensive hands‑on design experience with both composite and metallic airframes, plus demonstrated leadership in a project or IPT