Sr. Staff Thermal Engineer - Aircraft Avionics & Thermal Systems (R3930)

The role

You will lead the design, analysis and integration of aircraft avionics thermal management systems, with opportunities to work on aircraft-level thermal and fluid systems. You will shape designs, mentor peers and make sure thermal solutions meet mission-critical aerospace requirements.

What you will do

• Contribute to thermal analysis and design for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics and thermal/fluid systems.
• Develop and validate analytical, numerical and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow, using hand calculations and CFD tools such as FloEFD.
• Drive test planning, instrumentation and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results.
• Communicate technical findings through executive-level briefings, design reviews and written reports.
• Proactively identify risks, propose solutions and influence electrical and/or PCBA design direction.

Required qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering.
• Strong expertise in heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics.
• Deep understanding of active and passive cooling solutions and their integration at component and system level.
• Deep understanding of thermal management elements including TIMs, spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes and fans.
• Proficiency with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+).
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as NX, SolidWorks or similar.
• Demonstrated experience applying first-principles reasoning to complex engineering problems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of leading technical discussions and presenting to stakeholders.
• Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new tools, processes and technical challenges in a fast-paced startup environment.

Nice to have

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Experience with high altitude aircraft avionics cooling and thermal design.
• Familiarity with aircraft integration constraints (power, weight, volume, maintainability, safety).
• Hands-on experience with thermal and fluid system testing, instrumentation and validation.
• Knowledge of materials and manufacturing methods relevant to thermal management (pumps, heat exchangers, composites, etc.).
• Experience guiding trade studies, proposals and customer interactions in aerospace or defense programs.
• Background in multi-disciplinary system integration, spanning avionics, fluid systems and systems engineering.

Benefits

• Full-time regular employees receive a bonus.
• Full-time regular employees receive benefits.
• Full-time regular employees receive equity.
• Temporary employees receive a temporary benefits package, applicable after 60 days of employment.

Before you apply

• Ability to obtain an S//SAR level security clearance is desired.
• All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.
• Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

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.