Principal Aerostructures Design Engineer | UAV Platforms

The Rundown AI, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is hiring a Principal Aerostructures Design Engineer to lead the development of high‑performance structural components for its next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will own the design lifecycle from concept through production release, performing FEA and coordinating with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams to ensure robust, producible structures.

You will mentor engineers, drive design reviews, and ensure compliance with MIL-STD and FAA standards while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in aircraft structural design, with ownership of components or systems.
• Deep understanding of composite and metallic structures, including material behavior, joints, and thermal/environmental effects.
• Expertise in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar).
• Experience conducting or overseeing stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and design optimization.
• Strong working knowledge of DFMA, GD&T, tolerance stackups, and structural layout principles.
• Clear, concise technical communication skills and experience leading cross-functional engineering efforts.
• A track record of technical excellence and high ownership in challenging environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next-gen UAV platform, focusing on primary and secondary airframe structures.
• Own the structural design lifecycle from concept to detail design and drawing release with high quality and traceability.
• Use FEA tools to perform linear and nonlinear structural analysis, stress analysis, and margin assessment under operational loads and edge cases.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams for seamless system integration.
• Lead material selection discussions focusing on composites, aluminum alloys, and advanced manufacturing approaches.
• Participate in and lead design reviews, architecture discussions, and technical decision forums for structural systems.
• Oversee structural validation testing from coupon to full-system levels.
• Develop design documentation, analysis reports, interface definitions, and verification plans compliant with MIL-STD, FAA, and internal Shield AI standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and review team work for rigor, performance, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and flight test teams to transition designs to production and field deployment.
• Identify opportunities to improve design processes and team workflows to increase velocity and quality.

Skills

Structural design ownership

FEA analysis

Composite structures

Metallic structures

NX/CATIA/SolidWorks

Cross-functional leadership

Clear communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical/Aerospace

Tools

NX CAD

CATIA

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Abaqus

NASTRAN

Job description

Shield AI is hiring a Principal Aerostructures Design Engineer to lead the development of high‑performance structural components for its next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will own the design lifecycle from concept through production release, performing FEA and coordinating with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams to ensure robust, producible structures.

You will mentor engineers, drive design reviews, and ensure compliance with MIL-STD and FAA standards while