Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer - Ranger (R6355)

Shield AI; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI seeks a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to design and release high‑performance structural components for next‑gen autonomous aircraft. You will own design stages from concept through production release and ensure structural integrity across airframe interfaces.

You’ll collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing, performing hand calculations and supporting testing to meet aerospace standards. Strong communication and ownership are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or related aerospace structures.
• Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments.
• 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.
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s UAV platform.
• Lead design lifecycle from concept to drawing release.
• Perform hand calculations for stress or strain with limited guidance on FEA.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing for integration.
• Support structural validation with coupon, subcomponent, and system tests.
• Produce design documentation, drawings, interfaces, and reports per aerospace standards.
• Partner with manufacturing and flight test to resolve build issues.
• Present work in design reviews and incorporate feedback.
• Improve structural layout, joints, tolerancing, and optimization.

Skills

Aerospace structural design

CAD (NX/CATIA/SolidWorks)

GD&T & tolerancing

Composite & metallic structures

Load paths & fasteners

DFMA

Technical communication

System integration collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to support the development of structural components for our next-generation autonomous aircraft. As a key contributor on the team, you will design and develop high-performance structural components from concept through production release.

You’ll work cross-functionally to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and system integration across one of the most advanced autonomous aircraft platforms being built today. This role is ideal for an aerospace mechanical engineer who thrives in hands‑on design environments and is eager to take increasing ownership of flight‑critical designs.

What you'll do:

• Design and develop structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next-generation UAV platform.
• 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.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5+ 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

Preferred qualifications:

• M.S. 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

$170,000 - $250,000 a year

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. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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.