Lead mechanical design and spatial integration of secondary support structures and subsystem installations for aerospace vehicles. Develop CAD models, installation drawings, routing solutions (EWIS, hydraulic, ECS, fuel, pneumatic), perform fitment and tolerance analyses, define installation strategies, support procurement/fabrication and prototype builds, and coordinate across manufacturing, structures, avionics, systems, and test teams through design reviews and BOM management.
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 seeking a Spatial Integration Design Engineer to lead the design and physical integration of secondary support structures, subsystem installations, and vehicle routing architecture across the platform. This role is heavily focused on mechanical design, packaging, and installation definition within a highly constrained aerospace environment.
This engineer will own the design and development of support hardware, LRU installations, and routing solutions for EWIS, hydraulic, ECS, fuel, and mechanical systems. This includes concept development, CAD modeling, trade studies, structural and fitment analysis, drawing release, procurement support, and installation strategy development.
The ideal candidate has strong aerospace mechanical design experience, excellent spatial reasoning skills, and a deep understanding of vehicle integration constraints including maintainability, manufacturability, accessibility, thermal management, and assembly sequencing.
What You'll Do
- Lead the mechanical design and spatial integration of secondary support structures and subsystem installations across the vehicle
- Design brackets, trays, mounting provisions, equipment racks, supports, clips, and installation hardware
- Develop and maintain vehicle-level LRU layouts and packaging architectures
- Design routing solutions and installation provisions for:
- EWIS harnessing
- Hydraulic lines
- ECS ducting
- Fuel plumbing
- Pneumatic systems
- Perform CAD-based integration and packaging studies to resolve spatial conflicts and optimize vehicle layouts
- Generate detailed 3D models, installation drawings, interface definitions, and engineering release packages
- Perform fitment, tolerance, and installation analyses to validate integration solutions
- Develop installation strategies including assembly sequencing, accessibility, tooling access, and maintainability considerations
- Coordinate with manufacturing, structures, avionics, systems engineering, and test teams to ensure integration compatibility
- Support procurement and fabrication activities for designed hardware
- Support prototype build and vehicle integration activities by resolving installation and interference issues
- Participate in design reviews including PDR, CDR, and manufacturing readiness reviews
- Manage the CAD product structure for BOM exports
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field
- Experience designing mechanical hardware and integrated aerospace installations
- Strong proficiency with CAD tools such as CATIA or Siemens NX
- Experience sizing parts for various failure scenarios
- Experience creating detailed engineering drawings and installation definitions
- Strong understanding of aerospace integration and packaging principles
- Familiarity with EWIS routing and subsystem installation constraints
- Experience integrating hydraulic, ECS, fuel, or mechanical systems within aircraft or vehicle platforms
- Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-up, and installation analysis principles
- Ability to balance structural, thermal, manufacturing, accessibility, and maintainability constraints within designs
- Strong communication and cross-functional coordination skills
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with military aircraft, spacecraft, UAVs, or advanced aerospace systems
- Experience supporting prototype builds or vehicle assembly activities
- Familiarity with aerospace installation and EWIS standards
- Experience with digital mock-up (DMU) and clash detection workflows
- Understanding of structural load paths and equipment mounting considerations
- Experience with PLM and configuration management systems
#LI-SM1
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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