Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering - Avionics (R4416)

Shield; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI, a defense-tech company with worldwide operations, seeks a senior mechanical/avionics leader to own the architecture and design for mechanical, thermal, and EWIS elements of flight avionics on the X-BAT program.

You will lead a small team of engineers and set standards for reliability and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or equivalent.
• 10+ years of mechanical design experience around electronics and electrical systems.
• Experience with CAD software for 3D modeling, drawing creation, and system layout.
• Experience with avionics packaging and collaboration with electrical engineers.
• Experience with FEA, thermal analysis, and fatigue/lifecycle testing.
• Experience working with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and suppliers.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile environment with evolving priorities.
• Ability to obtain a Secret level security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and design for mechanical, thermal, and EWIS elements of ground and flight avionics.
• Manage a team of thermal, mechanical, and EWIS engineers and grow the team.
• Establish standards and processes for thermal and mechanical engineering of avionics hardware.
• Collaborate with electrical, RF, PCB design, reliability, and manufacturing teams.
• Ensure output of complex electro-mechanical solutions for flight-critical avionics in harsh environments.

Skills

CAD software

3D modeling

Thermal analysis

FEA

Electronics packaging

Cross-functional

Security clearance

Education

B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

SolidWorks

CATIA

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BATaircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit Follow Shield AI onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andYouTube.

What you'll do

• Lead the team responsible for the architecture and design for all mechanical, thermal, and EWIS elements of ground and flight avionics on the X-BAT program
• Take ownership of a small team of thermal, mechanical, and EWIS engineers, establish leads and sub-managers, and grow the team to support program goals in the immediate and long term
• While you will not be expected to design as an individual contributor, you must have this experience in your past to establish what "right" looks like for your organization
• Develop standards and processes for thermal and mechanical engineering of critical avionics hardware
• Partner closely with electrical engineering, RF, PCB design, reliability, supply chain, structures, manufacturing and other disciplines to drive full scope product delivery
• Own your team's output of complex electro-mechanical solutions for flight critical avionics systems that withstand harsh environments

Required qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering
• 10+ years of experience in mechanical design around electronics and electrical systems
• Strong experience in CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or similar) for 3D modeling, drawing creation, and system layout
• Experience working with electrical engineers to develop avionics packaging
• Experience with finite element analysis (FEA), thermal analysis, and fatigue/lifecycle testing
• Experience working directly with fabrication shops, contract manufacturers, and suppliers
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile development environment with evolving priorities
• A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others
• Ability to obtain a Secret level security clearance

Full-time regular employee offer package

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.

Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer

We are committed toequal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.