Engineer I, Mechanical (R6302)

About the Role

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company focused on protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. This role contributes to the design, development, and integration of mechanical systems for Shield AI’s autonomous aircraft.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the design and integration of mechanical mechanisms for autonomous aircraft, potentially including gearboxes and other power-transmission systems.
• Create and update 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of materials, and interface documentation.
• Complete defined design tasks involving component sizing, material selection, tolerance analysis, and mechanical packaging.
• Perform foundational structural, kinematic, and machine-design calculations with guidance from senior engineers.
• Assist with preliminary finite element analysis and document assumptions, methods, and results.
• Support the selection and integration of gears, bearings, shafts, splines, seals, fasteners, and lubrication components.
• Help build, inspect, test, and iterate prototype hardware for functionality, performance, and reliability.
• Support pre-production builds, aircraft integration, and ground and flight testing.
• Investigate well-defined technical issues, document findings, and contribute to root-cause and corrective-action activities.
• Collaborate with mechanical, propulsion, electrical, avionics, flight-controls, manufacturing, and test teams.
• Follow established engineering, configuration-management, and product-release processes.
• Develop plans for assigned tasks, communicate progress and risks, and incorporate feedback from teammates.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• 0-1 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent work experience.
• Understanding of fundamental mechanical engineering principles, including statics, dynamics, mechanics of materials, materials science, and machine design.
• Academic, internship, student-team, research, or project experience using 3D CAD software.
• Ability to create or interpret basic engineering drawings.
• Familiarity with dimensional tolerancing and GD&T fundamentals.
• Ability to perform foundational engineering calculations and clearly document assumptions and results.
• Hands-on interest in designing, building, integrating, or testing mechanical hardware.
• Strong problem-solving, organization, documentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to complete well-defined engineering tasks with guidance from peers and managers.
• Ability to collaborate effectively, accept feedback, and work in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.
• Ability to obtain an S//SAR-level security clearance is desired.

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Internship, student-team, research, or project experience involving aircraft, UAVs, robotics, automotive systems, or other mechanical products.
• Coursework or project experience related to gearboxes, gearing, bearings, shafts, splines, seals, lubrication, or rotating machinery.
• Familiarity with gear geometry, gear-train calculations, bearing selection, or mechanical power transmission.
• Experience with NX or a similar production CAD platform.
• Exposure to tolerance stack-ups, mechanical fits, and GD&T application.
• Exposure to finite element analysis, including static, modal, buckling, or fatigue analysis.
• Familiarity with MATLAB, Python, or other engineering analysis tools.
• Hands-on machine-shop, mechanic, fabrication, assembly, or inspection experience through professional, academic, or hobby activities.
• Exposure to FMEA, design of experiments, root-cause analysis, or reliability testing.
• Familiarity with additive manufacturing, machining, casting, forging, or other mechanical manufacturing processes.
• Exposure to RTCA DO-160, MIL-STD-810, structural testing, vibration testing, or mechanism testing.
• Ability to thrive in startup, R&D, or defense-innovation environments.

San Diego, CA pay range: $81,000 - $120,000

Seattle, WA pay range: $98,000 - $140,000