Senior UAV Aerostructures Design Engineer

InvestedintheMission; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 136,730 - 205,096; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to advance structural components for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. You will own the design from concept through production release, ensuring structural integrity, manufacturability, and seamless system integration.

You’ll collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support verification and documentation, with hands-on duties and a strong CAD/tooling background.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 8+ years of aircraft structural design experience.
• Experience releasing structural components in development or production.
• Knowledge of composite and metallic structures, fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths.
• Proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks).
• Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s UAV platform.
• Execute all stages of the design lifecycle from concept to drawing release.
• Perform hand calculations for stress/strain with limited FEA guidance.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams.
• Support structural validation including coupon and subcomponent testing.
• Generate design documentation, drawings, and analysis reports per aerospace standards.
• Partner with manufacturing and flight test teams to resolve build issues.
• Participate in design reviews and communicate technical decisions clearly.
• Improve structural layout, joints, tolerancing, and optimization.

Skills

Structural design

CAD proficiency

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical communication

DFMA

Education

Bachelors or Masters in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to advance structural components for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. You will own the design from concept through production release, ensuring structural integrity, manufacturability, and seamless system integration.

You’ll collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support verification and documentation, with hands-on duties and a strong CAD/tooling background.