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Shield AIShield AIUnited States

Principal Aerostructures Design Engineer (R4721)

Leads design and development of structural components for next-gen autonomous UAVs, owning full lifecycle from CAD modeling to validation testing. Requires 10+ years in aircraft structures, expertise in CAD/FEA tools, and composites/metallics knowledge.

190k – 290k/yr
Remote10+ YOEHardware Engineering

About the role

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design and development of structural components and assemblies for Shield AI’s next-gen UAV platform, focusing on primary and secondary aircraft structures.
  • Own the structural design lifecycle including concept generation, CAD modeling, detail design, and drawing release.
  • Use FEA tools to perform linear and nonlinear structural analysis, stress analysis, and margin assessment.
  • Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams for system integration.
  • Support material selection for composites, aluminum alloys, and advanced manufacturing.
  • Participate in and lead design reviews, architecture discussions, and technical decision-making.
  • Oversee structural validation testing from coupon-level to full-system.
  • Guide development of design documentation, analysis reports, and verification plans per MIL-STD, FAA, and internal standards.
  • Mentor junior engineers and review team work.
  • Collaborate with manufacturing and flight test teams for production transition.
  • Identify process improvements for design, configuration management, and workflows.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
  • 10+ years of experience in aircraft structural design with ownership of components or systems.
  • Deep understanding of composite and metallic structures, material behavior, joints, and thermal/environmental effects.
  • Expertise in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks) and FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or similar).
  • Experience in stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and design optimization.
  • Strong knowledge of DFMA, GD&T, tolerance stackups, and structural layout principles.
  • Clear technical communication and cross-functional leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

  • M.S. degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering.
  • Strong NX CAD skills.
  • Experience with Group 3–5 UAV, DoD aircraft, or high-performance aerospace programs.
  • Knowledge of aerospace standards (MIL-STD, ASME Y14.5, FAA FARS).
  • Experience in flight vehicle integration, manufacturing liaison, or production support.
  • Familiarity with model-based engineering, digital twin, or configuration management tools.
  • Experience in failure analysis, design iteration, and test correlation.
  • Work in startup, R&D, or high-growth defense environments.

Skills

NxCATIASolidworksAnsysAbaqusNastranFEACADGD&TDfma

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