Lead design and delivery of flight-critical power electronics for the X-BAT aircraft, including inverters, DC-DC converters, and battery management. Own full hardware development cycle, drive PCB layout, harden designs for harsh environments, mentor engineers, lead reviews, and manage program timelines through production.
Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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.
Job Description:
Shield AI is redefining autonomous aviation with cutting-edge AI and GPS/RF-denied navigation technologies. Now, we’re building our next-generation aircraft XBAT like no other—one that will push the boundaries of innovation and performance.
We’re looking for a Principal Power Electronics Engineer to own the design of power electronics and the system they integrate with on the X-BAT aircraft. This includes architecture and converter design, development, and delivery across our aircraft programs. You will define requirements and be responsible for design from concept to production. If you excel in cross-functional collaboration, thrive in fast-moving environments, and are passionate about pushing the limits of power system design, we want to hear from you.
What you'll do:
- Own flight critical power system design for X-BAT
- Design power electronics for the high voltage and low voltage systems. This includes inverters, DC-DC converters, battery management, and other power electronics
- Lead others to execute design, verification, and manufacturing deployment
- Provide mentorship and technical feedback to others on the power team and cross-functionally
- Harden the designs for harsh environments such as shock/vibe, high reliability, radiation, and high-altitude
- Work on power sub-systems and designs for both low power (<1 kW) and high power (>10 kW)
- Full-cycle hardware development: Own the entire flow — concept, modeling, worst case analysis, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, design reiteration for improving design maturity, testing and validation
- PCB ownership: Drive PCB layout and design with ECAD engineers, optimizing for power density, EMI, thermal, and manufacturability
- Design for Safety, Manufacturability and Reliability: Design robust systems keeping in mind best practices for safety, manufacturing and reliability
- Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with Mechanical, CAD, Embedded, Software, Supply Chain, Test Automation, Production and various aircraft teams throughout the product lifecycle
- Design review leadership: Lead and contribute to cross-functional reviews ensuring robust, high-integrity engineering decisions. Mentor junior engineers that support your design
- Program execution: Manage project timelines, deliverables, and technical milestones to drive on-time, high-quality outcomes
Required qualifications:
- You have a B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
- You have 10+ years of experience as an Electrical Engineer
- You are experienced with: circuit design, schematic capture, component selection, circuit testing, and debugging
- You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others
- Familiarity with Altium or equivalent
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
#LI-JM2
#LF
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.
###
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.
Similar Jobs at Shield AI
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Manage end-to-end production and execution of multi-channel paid media campaigns, coordinate agencies and internal teams, oversee website and landing page operations, handle asset formatting/trafficking/versioning, and build process, workflow, automation, and AI-driven optimizations to improve campaign speed, accuracy, and scalability.
Top Skills:
AIAsanaAutomation ToolsCampaign Management SystemsCms PlatformsCtvGoogle AdsJIRALinkedin Campaign ManagerProgrammatic AdvertisingYoutube
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Lead integration, validation, and fielding of advanced weapon capabilities on X-Bat across the full lifecycle. Define system behaviors and architectures, coordinate cross-functional integration, support lab/ground/flight tests, perform troubleshooting and root-cause analysis to reduce integration risk and accelerate capability delivery.
Top Skills:
Cameo Systems ModelerHilMbseMil-Std-1553Mil-Std-1760Sil
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software
Lead design and development of advanced electrical systems for autonomous aircraft, including circuit and subsystem design, part selection, schematic capture, simulation, verification, debugging, and production releases. Integrate embedded systems and sensors for autonomy, coordinate cross-functional teams, mentor engineers, define technical requirements, and develop automated test solutions to improve hardware reliability and production readiness.
Top Skills:
AnalogDigitalEmbedded SystemsFirmwareFpgasMicrocontrollersPower ManagementRadiosSensorsServos
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
