Staff Engineer, Aircraft Configuration Design - Ranger (R6298)

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-BAT aircraft, 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

What you'll do

Assist in the conceptual and preliminary design of Shield AI’s newest UAV platforms, ensuring optimal aerodynamic and structural configurations. Support aircraft sizing, weight estimation, and trade studies to evaluate different airframe configurations. Work with multi-disciplinary engineering teams (mechanical, electrical, propulsion, avionics) to ensure seamless system integration.

Develop and refine 3D CAD models of aircraft structures, subsystems, and flight critical components. Perform basic aerodynamic and structural analysis using computational tools to assess feasibility and performance impacts. Participate in design reviews, system trade studies, and prototype development efforts.

Support rapid prototyping and wind tunnel testing of scaled models to validate design concepts. Assist in requirements development, documentation, and verification planning for aircraft subsystems. Ensure designs comply with manufacturing feasibility, mission requirements, and aerospace industry standards.