Lead Mechanical & Actuated Systems Engineer, Autonomous UAVs

F7d8749a; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Mechanical & Actuated Systems Engineer to drive mechanical design for autonomous UAV products. You will architect mechanical and actuated systems on the X-BAT platform and oversee complex assemblies such as uplocks, doors, flight controls, landing gear, and wing fold.

You will collaborate with multiple teams to prototype, test, and release products to production, ensuring performance, schedule, and reliability goals while mentoring engineers and shaping

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering required.
• 10+ years in mechanical or mechanism design.
• Strong CAD skills (NX preferred).
• Kinematic analysis and optimization.
• Structural analysis using hand calculations and FEA.
• GD&T and tolerance stack-ups for mechanical systems.
• Ability to work independently in fast-paced, cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Design complex electro-mechanical or hydro-mechanical mechanisms for autonomous aircraft.
• Own the full design process: concept, CAD design, analysis, tolerance stackups, material selection, and drawing release.
• Perform structural and kinematic calculations and preliminary FEA.
• Prototype, test, and iterate mechanism designs for functionality and reliability.
• Collaborate with electrical, avionics, hydraulics, flight controls, and propulsion teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and help set technical direction and promote technical excellence.
• Support pre-production builds, prototype integration, and ground/flight testing.

Skills

Mechanical design

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Mentoring

Education

B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Mechanical & Actuated Systems Engineer to drive mechanical design for autonomous UAV products. You will architect mechanical and actuated systems on the X-BAT platform and oversee complex assemblies such as uplocks, doors, flight controls, landing gear, and wing fold.

You will collaborate with multiple teams to prototype, test, and release products to production, ensuring performance, schedule, and reliability goals while mentoring engineers and shaping