Lead Actuation Systems Engineer - UAV Platform

Shield; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 174,000 - 261,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to own the actuation systems architecture for Group 5 UAV actuation mechanisms. You will drive requirements, detailed design, integration, and qualification, ensuring readiness for production while meeting DoD standards.

This role demands strong technical leadership, rapid decision‑making, and hands‑on engineering in a fast‑paced aircraft program. The ideal candidate has 8–15 years in aircraft actuation, hands‑on electric or hydraulic actuation, and

Qualifications

• 8–15 years in aircraft actuation systems design.
• Hands‑on depth in electric actuation or centralized hydraulics.
• Active Secret or higher clearance required.
• Experience with MIL-STD‑810 and MIL‑HDBK‑516.
• Experience supporting SRR, PDR, and CDR on a DoD or fighter‑class program.

Responsibilities

• Actuation System Ownership: lead architecture, requirements, and detailed design of actuation systems for airframe mechanisms.
• Actuator and Mechanism Design: select and size actuators, sequencing, redundancy, FMEA, interfaces with mechanisms.
• Vehicle Mechanism Integration: drive integration with control surfaces and doors, including timing and interfaces.
• Power and Thermal Integration: own actuator power architecture and thermal interfaces.
• Requirements and Verification: define and own verification traceability for actuation requirements.
• Targeted Technical Decisions: perform focused assessments to resolve risks.
• Qualification and Hardware Delivery: define/execute MIL‑STD‑810 tests and support certification.
• Program Execution: lead design maturity and qualification reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR).

Skills

Actuation design

Systems integration

FMEA

MIL-STD-810

Hardware execution

Supplier management

Education

B.S./M.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace/Electrical Eng

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to own the actuation systems architecture for Group 5 UAV actuation mechanisms. You will drive requirements, detailed design, integration, and qualification, ensuring readiness for production while meeting DoD standards.

This role demands strong technical leadership, rapid decision‑making, and hands‑on engineering in a fast‑paced aircraft program. The ideal candidate has 8–15 years in aircraft actuation, hands‑on electric or hydraulic actuation, and