Senior Flight Control Actuation Systems Engineer

Shield; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 174,000 - 261,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff or Senior Staff Engineer (L4/L5) to own flight control actuation system design for a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft. You will define requirements from first principles, resolve actuator and integration trades, and drive qualified hardware from design through production support.

This role blends technical rigor with rapid, hands-on execution to translate concepts into operational capability, while partnering with flight controls, vehicle management, and suppliers.

Qualifications

• Active security clearance required (US Citizens only)
• 8–15 years in flight control actuation system design on fixed-wing aircraft
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or related field
• Experience sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components and driving suppliers to schedule
• Demonstrated ability to self-direct and deliver hardware under tight timelines
• Experience with actuator dynamic performance analysis (bandwidth, response, stability)
• Familiarity with flight controls and VMS interfaces and control-law integration

Responsibilities

• Define, allocate, and own FCAS requirements and verification traceability.
• Design and analyze actuator control surfaces including sizing and dynamic response.
• Drive control-law integration with Flight Controls and VMS.
• Coordinate actuator power, thermal interfaces with EPS and hydraulics.
• Oversee structural integration, hinge moments, and actuator loads.
• Define and execute FCAS qualification plans per MIL-HDBK-516 and MIL-STD-810.
• Lead design-maturity and qualification reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR)

Skills

Clearance

Autonomy

Actuation design

SRR/PDR/CDR experience

System ownership

Education

B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

M.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

MIL-HDBK-516

MIL-STD-810

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Staff or Senior Staff Engineer (L4/L5) to own flight control actuation system design for a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft. You will define requirements from first principles, resolve actuator and integration trades, and drive qualified hardware from design through production support.

This role blends technical rigor with rapid, hands-on execution to translate concepts into operational capability, while partnering with flight controls, vehicle management, and suppliers.