Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer - Ranger (R6355)

Shield AI•San Diego, CA

12d

About The Position

Shield AI is seeking a Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to support development of structural components for its next-generation autonomous aircraft. The engineer will design and develop high-performance structural components from concept through production release, working across teams to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and system integration. The role is suited to an aerospace or mechanical engineer who enjoys hands-on design and is ready to take increasing ownership of flight-critical designs. The position covers the structural design lifecycle, including conceptual development, CAD modeling, detailed design, and drawing release. It also supports structural validation, integration, manufacturing, and flight testing. The engineer will collaborate with cross-functional teams, document designs and analyses, participate in design reviews, and continue developing technical expertise in structural layout, joints, fasteners, tolerancing, and optimization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
At least 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 such as NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar.
Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA principles.
Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments.

Nice To Haves

M.S. degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
Experience supporting UAV, DoD, or aerospace vehicle programs.
Familiarity with aerospace standards such as MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, or FAA standards.
Experience supporting hardware through testing, failure analysis, and design iteration.
Exposure to composite design and manufacturing methods.
Experience using FEA tools such as 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.
Execute the design lifecycle, including conceptual development, initial CAD modeling, detailed design, and drawing release.
Perform hand calculations for stress or strain and limited basic FEA analysis, with guidance from senior engineers as needed.
Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams on airframe interfaces and system integration.
Support structural validation, including coupon testing, subcomponent testing, and system-level verification.
Generate 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.
Develop technical depth in structural layout, joints, fasteners, tolerancing, and structural optimization.