Staff Engineer, Fuel Systems - Ranger (R6299)

Shield; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Shield AI in the United States is seeking a Staff Fuel System Engineer to lead the fuel system design for a next-generation aircraft under Project Ranger. You will own requirements, architecture, and integration from concept through fielding, working with propulsion, vehicle teams, and flight operations.

The role demands strong thermofluid skills, hands-on testing, and the ability to drive hardware decisions in a fast-paced development environment while maintaining safety and reliability. U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
• 7+ years in aerospace fuel or related systems with ownership of hardware.
• Strong thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer knowledge.
• Hands-on fuel system integration, testing, and flight support.
• Python for engineering analysis and data correlation.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Responsible Engineer for the aircraft fuel system from concept to deployment.
• Design, size, and integrate tanks, pumps, valves, plumbing, venting, and sensing hardware.
• Analyze performance across operating envelope, including transient and thermal effects.
• Lead reviews with suppliers and manage hardware procurement.
• Plan and execute ground and flight testing with instrumentation.
• Investigate failures and drive corrective actions.
• Collaborate with propulsion, controls, airframe, and flight teams.

Skills

Python proficiency

Independent problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Security clearance

Citizenship (US)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

MS or PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

GFSSP

REFPROP

CFD

ANSYS

FEA

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:

We are seeking a highly motivated Staff Fuel System Engineer to support the design, development, integration, and fielding of a next-generation aircraft system for Project Ranger. This position requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands‑on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability. The ideal candidate is comfortable solving complex problems, taking ownership, working within an accelerated aircraft development environment, and is motivated by getting meaningful capability into the hands of operators quickly.

You will serve as the Responsible Engineer (RE) for the aircraft fuel system, owning technical execution from requirements and architecture through design, procurement, integration, build, test, flight, and operational support. This role requires strong thermofluid fundamentals, engineering judgment, and the ability to understand fuel system behavior across demanding aircraft operating conditions while serving as the focal point between propulsion, vehicle teams, suppliers, and flight operations.

What you’ll do:

• Serve as the Responsible Engineer for the aircraft fuel system, owning requirements, architecture, interfaces, hardware, and technical decisions from concept through operational deployment.
• Design, size, and integrate fuel tanks, pumps, valves, plumbing, venting and pressurization systems, filtration, level sensing, and associated fuel system hardware.
• Analyze fuel system performance across the aircraft operating envelope, including pressure and flow requirements, transient engine demand, elevated‑G maneuvering, tank depletion, slosh, vapor pressure, cavitation, vapor ingestion, and thermal effects.
• Lead technical design reviews, supplier engagements, and hardware procurement while ensuring the fuel system meets performance, mass, thermal, reliability, safety, and mission requirements.
• Plan and execute component, subsystem, and vehicle‑level testing, including instrumentation, procedures, data acquisition, performance validation, and flight readiness.
• Analyze ground and flight data to validate system performance, quantify margin, identify anomalies, and drive hardware or operational improvements.
• Lead failure investigations and root cause efforts using analysis, inspection, testing, and data to develop effective corrective actions.
• Work hands‑on with design engineers, technicians, propulsion, controls, airframe, manufacturing, supply chain, test, and flight teams to build, integrate, troubleshoot, and iterate flight hardware.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in aerospace fuel systems, fluid systems, propulsion, or related aircraft system development, with demonstrated ownership of complex aerospace hardware.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and compressible and incompressible flow.
• Strong understanding of aerospace fuel system design, including pressure losses, pump performance, venting, vapor pressure, cavitation, transient flow behavior, and thermal effects.
• Hands‑on experience with fluid system hardware integration, instrumentation, testing, flight support, and technical failure investigations.
• Strong proficiency in Python or similar tools for engineering analysis, data reduction, and model correlation.
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive ambiguous technical problems to measurable results in a fast‑paced development environment.
• U.S. Citizenship and active security clearance.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience developing fuel systems for high‑performance aircraft, tactical aircraft, UAVs, or similar aerospace platforms.
• Experience designing fuel systems for elevated‑G maneuvering, aggressive vehicle dynamics, or challenging fuel delivery conditions.
• Experience with fuel tanks, pumps, valves, regulators, level sensing, venting, pressurization, and fuel system control hardware.
• Familiarity with GFSSP, REFPROP, CFD, ANSYS, FEA, or similar thermal‑fluid analysis tools.
• Experience working with aerospace suppliers through component selection, procurement, development, qualification, and integration.
• Background in rocket propulsion or propellant systems with experience transferable to aerospace fuel system design, analysis, integration, or test.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

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.