Lead Senior Structural Engineer – UAV Aircraft Systems

Shield; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a senior engineer to design and integrate the next generation UAV structures. The role requires ownership of the full structural lifecycle, from concept through drawings, with heavy use of FEA for validation under realistic loads.

You will collaborate across aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing, mentor others, and drive design reviews and process improvements. Strong background in composites/metals, DFMA, GD&T, and a security clearance is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering required.
• 10+ years in aircraft structural design with ownership of components or systems.
• Deep knowledge of composites and metals, joints, and environmental effects.
• Experience with FEA for stress, fatigue, and design optimization.
• Proficient in DFMA, GD&T, tolerance stacks, and structural layouts.
• Strong written and verbal technical communication; cross-functional leadership.
• Ability to obtain S//SAR level security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of structural components for next-gen UAVs.
• Own the structural design lifecycle: concept, CAD, detail, drawings.
• Apply FEA to guide analysis under operational loads and edge cases.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing.
• Lead material selection for composites, aluminum, and advanced manufacturing.
• Conduct design reviews and contribute to technical decision forums.
• Oversee structural validation testing from coupon to full-system.
• Develop documentation, analyses, interface definitions, verification plans.
• Mentor junior engineers and review team work for rigor.
• Coordinate with manufacturing and flight test to move designs to production.
• Identify process improvements to raise velocity and quality.

Skills

Structural design

Composite materials

Finite element analysis

Technical leadership

DFMA

Clear communication

Security-minded

Education

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

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Abaqus

NASTRAN

Job description

Shield AI seeks a senior engineer to design and integrate the next generation UAV structures. The role requires ownership of the full structural lifecycle, from concept through drawings, with heavy use of FEA for validation under realistic loads.

You will collaborate across aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing, mentor others, and drive design reviews and process improvements. Strong background in composites/metals, DFMA, GD&T, and a security clearance is highly valued.