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Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company developing autonomous systems, UAV aircraft, and simulation technologies for military and defense applications. This Senior Staff Engineer role (L4/L5) offers full technical ownership of actuation systems architecture, design, and integration for Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft.
You will own the complete lifecycle of actuation systems, from first-principles requirements definition through detailed design, integration, qualification, and production. Key responsibilities include:
• Lead architecture and requirements definition for actuation systems across bay doors and airframe mechanisms
• Own actuator selection, sizing, sequencing, redundancy management, and failure mode analysis
• Drive integration of actuation with control surfaces, weapons bay doors, and vehicle mechanisms, managing timing, load, sealing, and structural interfaces
• Own actuator power architecture and load-analysis interfaces with electrical power systems (EPS)
• Manage heat-generation and heat-rejection interfaces with thermal management systems
• Define, allocate, and verify actuation system requirements across functional teams (flight control, EPS, thermal, structures, propulsion)
• Perform technology assessments to resolve specific actuation design and integration risks
• Define and execute qualification test plans per MIL-STD-810 to mature designs into production-ready hardware
• Support MIL-HDBK-516 Airworthiness Certification efforts
• Lead design-maturity and qualification-status reviews at SRR, PDR, and CDR
This role requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability in an accelerated aircraft development environment.
REQUIREMENTS:
• US Citizenship required; must have an Active Secret clearance or higher
• 8–15 years of aircraft actuation systems design experience with hands-on depth in electric actuation (EMA or EHA) or centralized hydraulics, plus working knowledge of the other
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline
• Proven track record sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups
• Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines
• Demonstrated depth in actuator sizing, power and thermal interfaces, FMEA, redundancy management, and mechanical mechanism integration
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-disciplinary actuation design and integration efforts with electrical power, thermal management, structures, and adjacent mechanical systems stakeholders
• Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516 and MIL-STD-810 as applied to actuation and mechanical systems
• Experience supporting SRR, PDR, and CDR on a DoD or fighter-class aircraft program
PREFERRED:
• Prior fighter or fighter-adjacent program experience (manned or unmanned)
• Experience developing electric actuation architectures for aircraft control surfaces or other mechanisms
• Weapons bay mechanism or store separation-adjacent mechanical systems experience
