Lead Aerospace Fuel Systems Engineer

F7d8749a; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a Staff Fuel System Engineer to own the aircraft fuel system from requirements to field deployment. You will design, integrate, and test fuel hardware, lead design reviews, and coordinate with propulsion, vehicle teams, and flight ops to ensure performance under demanding conditions.

The role requires 7+ years in aerospace fuel systems, strong thermodynamics knowledge, and a U.S. security clearance. The position is based in Seattle with the potential for extensive field support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of aerospace fuel systems or related aircraft system development.
• Strong thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer knowledge.
• Experience with fuel system hardware integration and testing.
• Proficiency in Python or similar tools for analysis.
• U.S. Citizenship and active security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Responsible Engineer for the aircraft fuel system, owning requirements, architecture, interfaces, hardware, and technical decisions from concept through operational deployment.
• Design, size, and integrate fuel tanks, pumps, valves, plumbing, venting and pressurization systems, filtration, level sensing, and associated fuel system hardware.
• Analyze fuel system performance across the aircraft operating envelope, including pressure and flow requirements, transient engine demand, elevated‑G maneuvering, tank depletion, slosh, vapor pressure, cavitation, vapor ingestion, and thermal effects.
• Lead technical design reviews, supplier engagements, and hardware procurement while ensuring the fuel system meets performance, mass, thermal, reliability, safety, and mission requirements.
• Plan and execute component, subsystem, and vehicle‑level testing, including instrumentation, procedures, data acquisition, performance validation, and flight readiness.
• Analyze ground and flight data to validate system performance, quantify margin, identify anomalies, and drive hardware or operational improvements.
• Lead failure investigations and root cause efforts using analysis, inspection, testing, and data to develop effective corrective actions.
• Work hands‑on with design engineers, technicians, propulsion, controls, airframe, manufacturing, supply chain, test, and flight teams to build, integrate, troubleshoot, and iterate flight hardware.

Skills

Python

Systems integration

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

GFSSP

REFPROP

CFD

ANSYS

FEA

Job description

Shield AI seeks a Staff Fuel System Engineer to own the aircraft fuel system from requirements to field deployment. You will design, integrate, and test fuel hardware, lead design reviews, and coordinate with propulsion, vehicle teams, and flight ops to ensure performance under demanding conditions.

The role requires 7+ years in aerospace fuel systems, strong thermodynamics knowledge, and a U.S. security clearance. The position is based in Seattle with the potential for extensive field support.