Senior Mechanical Engineer, Systems Integration

The role

You will lead the design and integration of complex aircraft systems from concept through production. You will own subsystem-level integration and act as technical lead for integration work statements, coordinating with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

What you will do

• Lead the mechanical integration of complete aircraft subsystems from concept through production.
• Develop installation architecture, including subsystem packaging, equipment mounting, and routing of electrical and fluid systems.
• Lead the design of complex machined, composite, fabricated, and sheet metal assemblies.
• Develop and review installation drawings, assembly documentation, and configuration baselines.
• Perform tolerance analyses, structural hand calculations, and engineering trade studies.
• Coordinate subsystem integration during prototype builds, aircraft assembly, and production.
• Mentor junior engineers in CAD modeling, GD&T, installation design, and engineering best practices.
• Coordinate suppliers and internal stakeholders to resolve technical issues affecting integration, manufacturability, schedule, or cost.
• Support technical planning, schedule development, and project execution for assigned work packages.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in aircraft, aerospace, defense, robotics, or complex electromechanical system development.
• Demonstrated experience designing machined, fabricated, composite, and sheet metal components from concept through production release.
• Demonstrated experience leading mechanical integration of aircraft subsystems or complex assemblies.
• Advanced CAD proficiency with NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, Creo, or equivalent.
• Experience managing engineering data, BOMs, and drawing releases in PLM systems such as Teamcenter, Windchill, or 3DEXPERIENCE.
• Working knowledge of aircraft installation practices, subsystem packaging, interface management, equipment mounting, and maintainability.
• Experience developing installation layouts and routing for EWIS, hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic, ECS, or similar systems.
• Experience developing part, assembly, and installation drawings.
• Strong knowledge of GD&T, ASME Y14.5, tolerance stack-up, and drawing release processes.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, prototype builds, production issue resolution, or MRB activity.
• Ability to coordinate across Manufacturing, Stress, Systems, Avionics, Supply Chain, and Test teams.

Nice to have

• Aircraft integration experience on UAV, military, commercial, eVTOL, or autonomous aircraft programs.
• Experience performing structural hand calculations, margin assessments, or preliminary stress analysis.
• Experience with FEA, including static, modal, vibration, fatigue, or thermal analysis.
• Hands-on experience supporting build, production, testing, or hardware validation.
• Experience managing technical scope, schedule, risk, or supplier coordination for subsystem work packages.
• Familiarity with aircraft-level requirements, interface control, and configuration management.

Benefits

• Bonus for full-time regular employees.
• Equity for full-time regular employees.
• Benefits package for full-time regular employees.
• Temporary benefits package for temporary employees, applicable after 60 days of employment.

Before you apply

• All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.
• Pay depends on factors including skill set, experience level, licenses and 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.