Serves as the structural and vibration technical authority for the V-BAT unmanned aircraft. Owns system loads, stress, dynamics, vibration requirements, testing, composite analysis, bolted joint design, and weight optimization. Develops structural standards and design criteria, leads FEA and hand calculations, oversees model-to-test correlation, reviews engineering deliverables, supports production changes, and mentors engineers. Requires extensive aircraft structural analysis experience and expertise in composites, vibration testing, fatigue, stability, and structural dynamics.
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. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Structural Analysis & Vibration Engineer to serve as the structural and vibration subject-matter expert (SME) for V-BAT. V-BAT is a Group 3 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system in production and deployed with customers worldwide.
You will be the structural technical authority for V-BAT. You will own system loads, stress and dynamics analysis, vibration requirements and testing, and weight optimization.
This is a high-impact, company-level role. You will develop and define system-level structural requirements, design criteria, analysis methods, and material allowables that will guide structural work across V-BAT. You will also mentor engineers in FEA and structural fundamentals.
This role is ideal for engineers with 12–15+ years of experience who have served as the structural lead or technical authority on an aircraft program.
What you'll do:
- Develop and maintain company structural standards, including design criteria, factors of safety and margin policy, analysis methods, material allowables, and joint design practices.
- Own V-BAT system loads, and define structural requirements for subsystems, components, and suppliers.
- Lead and perform static, stability, modal, dynamic, and fatigue analyses of V-BAT structures using hand calculations and FEA (Simcenter).
- Lead composite structural analysis and define composite design requirements.
- Serve as the bolted joint expert for the program.
- Own vibration and shock environments. Assess existing profiles and use measured flight data to develop defensible test requirements.
- Define and improve vibration test requirements and processes, from test planning through verification, validation, and model-to-test correlation.
- Lead a program-wide weight optimization review of existing designs, and analyze new designs for weight efficiency and material selection.
- Review structural analyses, test reports, and design review content, and present findings to engineering leadership and customers.
- Mentor engineers in FEA and structural fundamentals, and build the team's structural analysis capability.
- Provide structural guidance on design changes and production issues as needed
Required qualifications:
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 12+ years of structural analysis experience on aircraft, UAS, or comparable complex system, including serving as a structural lead or technical authority.
- Experience creating structural design criteria, analysis methods, or engineering standards.
- Expert knowledge of structural mechanics and hand calculations, including strength, stability, fatigue, and structural dynamics.
- Expertise with FEA tools, preferably Siemens Simcenter (Nastran or Femap), or equivalents such as ANSYS or Abaqus.
- Significant experience analyzing composite aircraft structures and defining composite design requirements.
- Expert-level knowledge of bolted joint analysis and design.
- Hands-on experience with vibration and shock testing, including test planning, instrumentation, and data review, plus working knowledge of MIL-STD-810.
- Proven track record of mentoring engineers.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred qualifications:
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
- Experience as the lead structural engineer on a Group 2–5 UAS, rotorcraft, or VTOL aircraft.
- Experience deriving vibration environments from flight test data (PSD analysis, fatigue damage spectrum, test tailoring).
- Experience with modal testing and FEA model correlation.
- Experience leading structural weight reduction programs.
- Experience developing composite allowables (e.g., CMH-17) and knowledge of composite manufacturing processes.
- Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516, RTCA DO-160, and aircraft structural certification.
- Experience in startup or high-growth defense environments.
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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. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.
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