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Shield AI, a venture-backed defense-tech company, is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to take full technical ownership of Environmental Control System (ECS) architecture, analysis, design, and integration for a dedicated special access program. You will serve as the sole ECS subject matter expert, working from first principles to execute trades, size systems, design hardware, manage external suppliers, support proposals, and deliver flight-ready hardware in a rapid-iteration development environment.
Key responsibilities include:
• Lead ECS architecture definition and trade studies (vapor cycle vs. air cycle vs. passive/ram-air systems) to meet vehicle thermal, electrical, mass, and volume constraints.
• Design and analyze vehicle air inlets, scoops, ducting networks, and ram-air cooling circuits to ensure adequate flow across flight envelopes.
• Perform first-principles thermodynamic and heat transfer calculations, backed by 1D fluid-thermal network modeling.
• Author technical specifications and statements of work for ECS hardware (heat exchangers, fans, valves, compressors, sensors), evaluate vendors, and drive supplier technical execution.
• Define qualification and verification test plans, design test rigs, support instrumentation and data acquisition setup, and execute test campaigns to validate performance against requirements.
• Process flight-test thermal and fluid data to identify discrepancies, resolve anomalies via root-cause investigation, and implement rapid design changes.
This role requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability. You will be comfortable solving complex problems, taking ownership, working within an accelerated aircraft development environment, and motivated by getting meaningful capability into the hands of operators quickly.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Clearance: US Citizens only; must have an active Secret or higher clearance.
• Experience: 8 to 15 years of direct experience in aerospace Environmental Control System and vehicle thermal/fluid system development.
• Education: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Deep mastery of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer applied to aircraft or defense systems.
• Demonstrated capability with 1D system modeling (e.g., Amesim, Flowmaster, or Python/MATLAB fluid networks) and ability to size systems from inlets to ram circuits to liquid and air cooling systems.
• Experience in 3D CAD modeling, routing, and drawing release (Siemens NX preferred, or equivalent like CATIA/Creo) with PLM workflows.
• 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.
PREFERRED: Familiarity with aerospace environmental requirements and test standards (e.g., MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-310, RTCA DO-160, SAE AIR/ARP standards).
