Senior Staff Engineer, Survivability Materials

About the role

At Shield AI, we are building intelligent autonomous aircraft designed to operate and survive in highly contested environments. We are seeking a Survivability Materials Engineer to lead the selection, qualification, specification, and production implementation of low-observable and signature-control materials for next-generation autonomous aircraft. This role is ideal for an engineer with experience in radar-absorbing materials, specialty coatings, electromagnetic material characterization, and aerospace manufacturing processes. You will work across survivability analysis, design engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and sustainment teams to ensure material solutions meet signature-performance requirements while remaining producible, inspectable, durable, and supportable throughout the aircraft lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Conduct material surveys and evaluate radar-absorbing materials, conductive materials, dielectric materials, specialty coatings, adhesives, sealants, and other survivability-related material systems.
• Develop and maintain a survivability materials database containing performance, cost, supplier, part-number, availability, application, and sustainment information.
• Partner with survivability analysis, design, manufacturing, and program teams to down-select materials based on signature performance, durability, producibility, weight, cost, and supply-chain risk.
• Develop material qualification plans and oversee electromagnetic, electrical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and environmental testing.
• Establish and maintain laboratory capabilities for material characterization, process development, receiving inspection, and production verification.
• Provide hands-on production support for material application, inspection, troubleshooting, repair, supplier coordination, and sustainment.

Qualifications

Required:

• B.S. or M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in aerospace materials engineering, low-observable materials, electromagnetic materials, specialty coatings, or a related field.
• Working knowledge of radar-absorbing materials, conductive coatings, dielectric materials, adhesives, sealants, or specialty surface treatments.
• Understanding of how complex permittivity, complex permeability, conductivity, and thickness affect electromagnetic and radar-signature performance.
• Experience with material characterization, laboratory testing, production inspection, or supplier qualification.
• U.S. Citizenship and active Secret clearance required.

Preferred:

• Experience developing or qualifying radar-absorbing materials, low-observable coatings, structural RAM, conductive treatments, or signature-control appliqués.
• Experience measuring electromagnetic material properties using free-space, waveguide, coaxial, resonant-cavity, or reflectivity-based test methods.
• Familiarity with vector network analyzers, free-space measurement systems, conductivity equipment, coating-thickness instruments, environmental chambers, and mechanical test equipment.
• Active Secret, Top Secret, or SCI security clearance.

Pay

$170,000 - $250,000 a year. Full-time regular employee offer includes base pay within this range plus bonus, benefits, and equity. Temporary employee offer includes base pay within the range plus a temporary benefits package (available after 60 days of employment). Salary compensation is influenced by skill set, experience, licenses/certifications, and work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.

Benefits

Benefits include bonus, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package for regular employees; temporary employees receive a benefits package after 60 days of employment.

Schedule

Full-time regular employee.