Senior ECS Engineer: Flight Thermal Systems (Secret)

Shield AI; Dallas, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 181,000 - 271,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff (L5) Environmental Control System (ECS) Engineer to own the ECS architecture for a dedicated program. You will lead trades, size systems, design hardware, manage suppliers, and deliver flight-ready hardware in a rapid-iteration environment.

With 8–15 years in aerospace ECS/thermal/fluid development and a B.S./M.S. in engineering, you will drive 1D modeling, CAD/PLM work, and vendor execution while maintaining a strong sense of ownership and urgency to field

Qualifications

• Clearance required: U.S. Citizens Only with an Active Secret or higher clearance.
• 8–15 years of aerospace ECS/thermal/fluid system development experience.
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead ECS architecture definition and trade studies (e.g., vapor cycle vs. air cycle vs. passive/ram-air) to meet vehicle constraints.
• Design and analyze vehicle air inlets, scoops, ducting, and ram-air cooling circuits.
• Perform first-principles thermodynamic and heat transfer sizing with 1D network modeling.
• Draft technical specifications and SOWs for ECS hardware; evaluate vendors and drive execution.
• Define qualification/verification test plans and support test campaigns.
• Analyze flight-test thermal data, identify issues, and implement rapid design changes.

Skills

Thermodynamics

Fluid dynamics

Heat transfer

1D system modeling

Python/MATLAB

CAD/PLM

Vendor management

Autonomy/ownership

Education

B.S./M.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Amesim

Flowmaster

Siemens NX

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff (L5) Environmental Control System (ECS) Engineer to own the ECS architecture for a dedicated program. You will lead trades, size systems, design hardware, manage suppliers, and deliver flight-ready hardware in a rapid-iteration environment.

With 8–15 years in aerospace ECS/thermal/fluid development and a B.S./M.S. in engineering, you will drive 1D modeling, CAD/PLM work, and vendor execution while maintaining a strong sense of ownership and urgency to field