Senior Thermal Architect for Aircraft Avionics & AI Systems

Shield; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a Principal Thermal Engineer to own the thermal architecture for unmanned aircraft avionics and thermal/fluid systems across programs. You will lead cross-functional studies, balance performance with weight and reliability, and develop validated models and testing strategies.

You will mentor engineers, shape design directions, and communicate complex results to executives, with opportunities to influence system-level risk mitigation and integration across teams.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
• 12+ years of professional avionics or electronics thermal engineering experience with technical leadership.
• Strong expertise in heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics with system-level impact.
• Deep understanding of active and passive cooling solutions and their integration at component, subsystem, and aircraft level.
• Deep understanding of thermal management design elements including TIMs, spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, and fans.
• Proficiency with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+).
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or similar.
• Demonstrated experience applying first-principles reasoning to complex engineering problems and resolving ambiguous technical challenges with significant system-level impact.
• Proven track record of owning thermal architecture and delivering thermal management solutions from concept through integration, verification, and validation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of influencing cross-functional technical decisions and presenting to executive stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers, establish engineering best practices, and lead technical efforts across teams or programs.
• Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new tools, processes, and technical challenges in a fast paced, startup environment.
• Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Responsibilities

• Own thermal architecture, analysis, and design strategy for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics and aircraft-level thermal/fluid systems across programs.
• Lead cross-functional trade studies and technical decisions, balancing thermal performance with power, weight, volume, reliability, manufacturability, and aircraft integration constraints.
• Develop and validate analytical, numerical, and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow using hand calculations and CFD tools such as FloEFD, and establish modeling standards and best practices.
• Define verification and validation strategies, guiding test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results and resolve critical performance risks.
• Serve as a technical authority in executive-level briefings, design reviews, and customer discussions, communicating complex findings and driving alignment on technical direction.
• Proactively identify and retire system-level risks, influence electrical and/or PCBA design direction, and drive resolution of complex interfaces across avionics, mechanical, and aircraft systems.
• Establish reusable thermal design methods and solutions, mentor engineers, and strengthen thermal engineering capabilities across the organization.

Skills

Thermal leadership

Heat transfer

CFD analysis

System architecture

Mentoring

Executive briefing

First-principles

Security clearance

Education

BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

ANSYS Icepak

FloEFD

STAR-CCM+

NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Shield AI seeks a Principal Thermal Engineer to own the thermal architecture for unmanned aircraft avionics and thermal/fluid systems across programs. You will lead cross-functional studies, balance performance with weight and reliability, and develop validated models and testing strategies.

You will mentor engineers, shape design directions, and communicate complex results to executives, with opportunities to influence system-level risk mitigation and integration across teams.