Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer (R5846)

Location: Dallas, TX. Employment type: Full‑time (regular employee; temporary option also available). On‑site work.

Job Description

Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Aerostructures Design Engineer to play a critical role in the development of structural components for next‑generation autonomous aircraft. As a senior member of the Mechanical Engineering team, you will own the design and development of high‑performance structural systems, from clean‑sheet concepts to production‑ready hardware, working across disciplines to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and mission‑readiness.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of primary and secondary aircraft structures for UAV platforms, managing the full structural design lifecycle from concept generation, CAD modeling, detail design, to drawing release.
• Perform and guide linear and nonlinear FEA, stress analysis, and margin assessment under operational loads and edge cases.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, payload, and manufacturing teams to ensure seamless system integration.
• Support and lead material selection focusing on composites, aluminum alloys, and advanced manufacturing approaches.
• Participate in and lead design reviews, architecture discussions, and technical decision‑making forums.
• Oversee structural validation testing, including coupon‑level, subcomponent, and full‑system testing.
• Develop design documentation, analysis reports, interface definitions, and verification plans in compliance with MIL‑STD, FAA, and internal standards.
• Mentor junior engineers and review team members’ work for technical rigor, performance, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and flight test teams to transition designs from engineering to production and field deployment.
• Identify and implement improvements to design processes, configuration management, and team workflows.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in aircraft structural design with ownership of components or systems in development, test, or production.
• 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 conducting or overseeing stress analysis, fatigue analysis, and design optimization.
• Strong working knowledge of DFMA, GD&T, tolerance stack‑ups, and structural layout principles.
• Clear, concise technical communication skills and experience leading cross‑functional engineering efforts.
• Track record of technical excellence, high ownership, and mission‑driven mindset.
• Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance (desired).

Preferred Qualifications

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

Compensation and Benefits

• Pay within the range listed for the role, plus bonus.
• Benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment for temporary employees).
• Equity participation.
• Compensation influenced by skill set, experience, licenses, certifications, and location.
• All offers contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.