Staff Engineer, Landing Gear Systems - Ranger (R6294)

Shield AI•Seattle, WA

About The Position

Shield AI is hiring a Staff or Senior Staff Landing Gear Engineer to take full technical ownership of landing gear architecture, kinematic mechanism design, structural analysis, and vehicle integration for a new UAV platform. The engineer will serve as the program’s sole landing gear subject matter expert, working from first principles to conduct mechanism trades, perform structural hand calculations, design hardware, manage external component suppliers, support proposals and capture, and deliver flight-ready systems in a rapid-iteration development environment. The role calls for technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to move concepts into operational capability. The successful candidate will be comfortable solving complex problems, taking ownership, and working in an accelerated aircraft development environment, with a focus on delivering meaningful capability to operators quickly.

Requirements

Minimum 7 years of direct experience for L4 or 12 years for L5 in aerospace mechanism design, aircraft landing gear systems, or primary structural development.
B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Deep mastery of classical solid mechanics, kinematics, dynamics, fatigue, materials selection, and GD&T and tolerance stack-up methodologies.
Demonstrated capability performing closed-form hand calculations and FEA for high-load mechanisms and structural components, including linear, non-linear, buckling, and modal analysis.
Extensive experience in 3D CAD modeling, mechanism layout, drawing release, and PLM workflows; Siemens NX preferred, or equivalent software such as CATIA or Creo.
Proven experience sourcing aerospace hardware, collaborating with specialized mechanism and actuator suppliers, and supporting physical builds and test rigs.
Ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines.
Eligible for a Secret clearance.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with UAV, autonomous aircraft, or rotorcraft landing systems and arresting gear integration.
Familiarity with aerospace structural, environmental, and mechanism drop-test standards, such as MIL-STD-810, RTCA DO-160, AS6053, and MIL-A-8866/MIL-A-8867.
Hands-on machine shop, fabrication, or mechanical assembly experience in a prototype or rapid R&D environment.

Responsibilities

Lead landing gear architecture definition and trade studies, including actuation options, fixed versus retractable kinematics, and stowage packaging, to meet vehicle mass, volume, and ground-handling requirements.
Own the CAD design lifecycle from initial concept through drawing release, including linkage kinematics, clearance envelopes, structural load paths, material selection, and tolerance stack-ups.
Perform classical stress and fatigue hand calculations, finite element analyses, and dynamic landing-load assessments.
Size and select wheels, tires, brakes, shock absorption systems, actuators, and nose wheel steering mechanisms for vehicle landing and taxi envelopes.
Author technical specifications and statements of work for landing gear components, evaluate vendors, and drive supplier technical execution.
Define verification test plans, design mechanical test fixtures, support drop-test campaigns, and execute functional validation against performance requirements.
Support prototype assembly, ground taxi testing, and flight test operations; identify discrepancies, investigate mechanism anomalies, and implement rapid design changes.
Support proposals and capture.