Staff Engineer, Thermal - Air Vehicle (R4856)
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.
About the role
As a Staff Aircraft Thermal Engineer, you will solve many of the most challenging thermal problems on the XBAT aircraft program, including hot exhaust gas management and aircraft-level thermal environments and characterization. This role is best suited for an engineer who thrives on first-principles problem solving, can operate autonomously in solving challenging thermal problems, and bridges technical disciplines with clear communication. You will shape designs, guide engineering peers in thermal disciplines, and deliver robust thermal solutions that meet mission-critical aerospace requirements.
Responsibilities
- Execute thermal analysis and characterization efforts for unmanned aerial vehicle aircraft-level thermal systems.
- Architect and validate analytical, numerical, and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow using hand calculations, finite difference methods, and CFD tools such as FloEFD.
- Execute trade studies, make system architecture decisions, own requirements generation, and make technical risk assessments.
- Define and oversee test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results.
- Mentor and guide cross-disciplinary teams in applying thermal/fluid fundamentals.
- Communicate technical findings through design reviews and technical reports.
- Proactively identify thermal risks, propose solutions, and influence aircraft thermal design.
Requirements
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
- Minimum 7 years of professional experience in thermal engineering.
- Deep expertise in heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics.
- Advanced understanding of active and passive cooling solutions.
- Knowledge of thermal management techniques for aircraft bays, engine bays, and hot surfaces.
- Proficiency with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., FloEFD, STAR-CCM+, Thermal Desktop).
- Proficiency with CAD design tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or similar.
- Demonstrated ability to apply first-principles reasoning to complex engineering problems.
- Strong communication and leadership skills.
- Demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred qualifications
- M.S. in a relevant engineering discipline.
- Extensive experience with high-altitude aircraft thermal management, analysis, and design.
- Familiarity with aircraft integration constraints (power, weight, volume, maintainability, safety).
- Hands-on experience with thermal and fluid system testing, instrumentation, and validation.
- Knowledge of materials and manufacturing methods relevant to aerospace thermal management.
- Experience guiding trade studies.
- Background in multi-disciplinary system integration, spanning avionics, fluid systems, and systems engineering.
Pay
$170,000 - $230,000 a year. Full-time regular employee offer package: Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity. Temporary employee offer package: Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment). Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.