Staff Engineer, Fuel Systems (R5900)

The role

This role is a Staff Fuel System Engineer who serves as the Responsible Engineer for an autonomous aircraft's fuel system. The work covers requirements, design, integration, testing, flight support and failure investigations.

What you will do

• Serve as Responsible Engineer for the aircraft fuel system from concept through operational deployment.
• Design, size and integrate fuel tanks, pumps, valves, plumbing, venting, pressurization, filtration and level sensing.
• Analyze fuel system performance across the aircraft operating envelope.
• Lead technical design reviews, supplier engagements and hardware procurement.
• Plan and execute component, subsystem and vehicle-level testing.
• Analyze ground and flight data to validate performance and drive improvements.
• Lead failure investigations and root cause efforts.
• Work hands-on with engineers, technicians and flight teams to build and troubleshoot flight hardware.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in aerospace fuel systems, fluid systems, propulsion or related aircraft system development.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and compressible and incompressible flow.
• Strong understanding of aerospace fuel system design, including pump performance, venting, vapor pressure, cavitation and transient flow.
• Hands-on experience with fluid system hardware integration, instrumentation, testing, flight support and failure investigations.
• Strong proficiency in Python or similar tools for engineering analysis and data reduction.
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive ambiguous technical problems to measurable results.
• U.S. citizenship and an active security clearance.

Nice to have

• Experience developing fuel systems for high-performance, tactical aircraft, UAVs or similar platforms.
• Experience designing fuel systems for elevated-G maneuvering or challenging fuel delivery conditions.
• Experience with fuel tanks, pumps, valves, regulators, level sensing and venting hardware.
• Familiarity with GFSSP, REFPROP, CFD, ANSYS, FEA or similar thermal-fluid analysis tools.
• Experience working with aerospace suppliers through selection, procurement, qualification and integration.
• Background in rocket propulsion or propellant systems.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.

Benefits

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

Before you apply

• U.S. citizenship and an active security clearance are required.
• All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.
• Compensation depends on skill set, experience, licenses, certifications and work location.

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.