Senior UAV Structures Design Engineer

Shieldai; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to support the development of structural components for our next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will design and develop high‑performance structures from concept to production release, ensuring integrity and manufacturability across airframe interfaces.

You will collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams, contributing to design reviews and documentation while advancing your expertise in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or closely related aerospace structures.
• Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments.
• Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, including fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths.
• Proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar).
• Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA principles.
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in fast‑paced, high-ownership engineering environments.
• Ability to get a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
• MS degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• Experience supporting UAV, DoD, or aerospace vehicle programs.
• Familiarity with aerospace standards (MIL‑STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA).
• Experience supporting hardware through test, failure analysis, and design iteration.
• Exposure to composite design and manufacturing methods.
• Experience using FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar) for linear structural analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next‑generation UAV platform, supporting both primary and secondary aircraft structures.
• Execute all stages of the design lifecycle including conceptual development, initial CAD modeling, detailed design, and drawing release.
• Perform hand calculations for stress or strain with limited basic FEA analysis, with guidance from senior engineers as needed.
• Collaborate closely with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to support system integration across airframe interfaces.
• Support structural validation efforts including coupon testing, subcomponent testing, and system‑level verification.
• Generate high‑quality design documentation, drawings, interface definitions, and analysis reports in compliance with aerospace standards.
• Partner with manufacturing and flight test teams to resolve build issues and support hardware through test and deployment.
• Participate in design reviews and technical discussions, presenting work clearly and incorporating feedback effectively.
• Continuously improve personal technical depth in structural layout, joints, fasteners, tolerancing, and structural optimization.

Skills

8+ years aerospace structures

Structural design release

Composites & metals

CAD tools

GD&T & DFMA

Technical communication

Fast-paced environment

Security clearance

UAV/DoD/aerospace

Aerospace standards

FEA tools

Education

Bachelors/Masters in ME/Aerospace

MS in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

Job description

Shield AI seeks a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to support the development of structural components for our next‑generation autonomous aircraft. You will design and develop high‑performance structures from concept to production release, ensuring integrity and manufacturability across airframe interfaces.

You will collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams, contributing to design reviews and documentation while advancing your expertise in