Staff Fuel Systems Engineer, Autonomous Aircraft

Shieldai; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Fuel System Engineer to own the aircraft fuel system from requirements to field deployment. You will design, integrate, and test fuel tanks, pumps, valves, venting, and related hardware for high‑performance platforms, collaborating across propulsion, vehicle, and flight teams.

You have 7+ years in aerospace fuel or related systems, strong thermofluid fundamentals, hands-on hardware experience, and a U.S. security clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
• 7+ years in aerospace fuel systems or related aircraft systems.
• U.S. Citizenship and active security clearance.
• Experience with high-performance aircraft, UAVs, or similar platforms.
• Hands-on experience with fuel system hardware integration and testing.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer.
• Experience with fuel tanks, pumps, valves, regulators, level sensing, venting, pressurization, and fuel system control hardware.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Responsible Engineer for the aircraft fuel system, owning requirements, architecture, interfaces, hardware, and decisions.
• Design, size, and integrate fuel tanks, pumps, valves, plumbing, venting, pressurization, filtration, level sensing.
• Analyze fuel system performance across operating envelope including pressure, flow, transients.
• Lead technical design reviews, supplier engagements, and hardware procurement.
• Plan and execute component, subsystem, and vehicle-level testing, including instrumentation.
• Analyze ground and flight data to validate system performance and drive improvements.
• Lead failure investigations and root cause analysis.
• Work hands-on with multiple teams to build, integrate, troubleshoot flight hardware.

Skills

Thermal-fluid fundamentals

Independent problem solving

Python for analysis

Aerospace systems thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

MS/PhD in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

GFSSP

REFPROP

CFD

ANSYS

FEA

Python

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Fuel System Engineer to own the aircraft fuel system from requirements to field deployment. You will design, integrate, and test fuel tanks, pumps, valves, venting, and related hardware for high‑performance platforms, collaborating across propulsion, vehicle, and flight teams.

You have 7+ years in aerospace fuel or related systems, strong thermofluid fundamentals, hands-on hardware experience, and a U.S. security clearance.