Senior Staff Engineer, Actuation Systems Architecture & Design (RX) (R6003)

The role

You will own the architecture, design, and integration of actuation systems for bay doors and other mechanisms on a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft. You will define requirements, make design decisions, and take the design through qualification and production.

What you will do

• Lead actuation system architecture, requirements and detailed design across bay doors and other airframe mechanisms
• Own actuator selection, sizing, sequencing, redundancy and failure mode analysis
• Drive integration with control surfaces, weapons bay doors and other vehicle mechanisms
• Own actuator power architecture and load analysis with EPS, and heat interfaces with thermal management
• Define and own verification traceability for actuation requirements with other IPTs
• Perform focused technology assessments to resolve specific actuation design and integration risks
• Define and execute qualification test plans per MIL-STD-810 and support MIL-HDBK-516 Airworthiness Certification
• Lead design-maturity and qualification reviews at SRR, PDR and CDR

Required qualifications

• US citizen with an active Secret or higher clearance
• 8 to 15 years in aircraft actuation systems design, with hands-on depth in electric actuation (EMA or EHA), or centralized hydraulics with working knowledge of the other
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline
• Proven track record sourcing COTS or custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups
• Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines
• Demonstrated depth in actuator sizing, power and thermal interfaces, FMEA, redundancy management and mechanical integration
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary actuation design and integration with electrical power, thermal, structures and mechanical 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

Nice to have

• 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

Benefits

• Bonus
• Benefits
• Equity (full-time regular employees)
• Temporary benefits package (temporary employees, after 60 days of employment)

Before you apply

• US citizens only
• Active Secret or higher clearance required
• Offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check

About the company

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company that builds intelligent systems to protect service members and civilians. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation technologies.