Staff Engineer, Actuated Systems (RX) (R6001)

The role

You will take technical ownership of the mechanical design and integration of actuation systems for flight control surfaces, bay doors and other airframe mechanisms on a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft. You will move concepts through design, release, test and vehicle integration.

What you will do

• Develop and mature layouts and installation concepts for actuators, mechanisms, linkages, brackets and mounts within vehicle packaging constraints.
• Own detailed CAD design of actuated systems hardware from concept through drawing release.
• Perform actuator sizing, kinematic layout and installation analysis for flight control surfaces, bay doors and airframe mechanisms.
• Perform hand calculations and basic FEA to substantiate brackets, mounts, linkages and installation hardware.
• Define and resolve installation interfaces with structures, EWIS, EPS, thermal management and adjacent systems.
• Develop and maintain CAD models, drawings, interface definitions and design data packages for SRR, PDR and CDR.
• Support component selection, technical specifications, supplier technical execution, prototype assembly and test-fixture development.
• Define and execute qualification test plans per MIL-STD-810 and support MIL-HDBK-516 Airworthiness Certification.

Required qualifications

• Active Secret or higher clearance
• 7 to 12 years of mechanical systems design experience in aerospace or a comparable regulated industry
• Hands-on experience designing actuated mechanisms or aircraft installations
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related technical discipline
• Deep mastery of mechanical design, kinematics, load paths, materials selection, GD&T and tolerance stack-up methodologies
• Demonstrated closed-form hand calculations and basic FEA for mechanisms, brackets, mounts and structural installation components
• Extensive experience in 3D CAD modeling, mechanical layouts and drawing release with Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo or equivalent PLM workflows
• Demonstrated ability to develop actuator and mechanism installations that meet packaging, load, clearance, maintainability and vehicle-interface requirements
• Proven track record sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups
• Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines

Nice to have

• Aircraft flight control actuation, weapons bay door, landing gear or other deployable-mechanism design experience
• Experience with electro-mechanical or electro-hydrostatic actuation systems
• Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516, MIL-STD-810 and airworthiness verification planning for mechanical systems
• Hands-on machine shop, fabrication, mechanical assembly or prototype-build experience in a rapid R&D environment

Benefits

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

Before you apply

• US citizens only
• Offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check
• Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits
• Pay is influenced by skill set, experience, 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.