Senior Engineer, Air Vehicle Fluid Systems

About the role

Shield AI, a defense-tech company developing air vehicles such as its X-BAT jet-engine VTOL military UAV, is seeking a Senior Fluid Systems Engineer. The engineer supports development and flight testing of liquid cooling and thermal management systems, designs components and fluid systems, works with suppliers, performs system and component analysis and sizing, and owns several aspects of the X-BAT fluid systems. Travel to the flight test campaign control room at the Newton, Kansas test site may be required.

Key responsibilities

• Design components and fluid systems for liquid cooling and thermal management.
• Engage with suppliers and perform system and component analysis and sizing.
• Own multiple aspects of the X-BAT fluid systems.
• Support flight test operations in the control room at the Newton, Kansas test site during flight test campaigns.

Required profile

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).
• 5+ years of experience with environmental control systems, liquid cooling systems, thermal systems, component design, system analysis, supplier management and requirements management.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver design, build and test with rigor at speed.
• Ability to work independently in fast-paced, cross-functional teams.

Required skills

• Strong CAD skills (NX preferred).
• Fluid system analysis using first principles, Simscape, Amesim and similar tools.
• Preferred: experience with environmental and operational robustness (vibration/shock, thermal extremes, contamination, corrosion, sand/dust).
• Preferred: experience supporting ground test and flight test campaigns, system checkout and failure investigations.
• Preferred: familiarity with reliability and safety methods (DFMEA/FTA, fault containment, safe-state thinking) and fighter-class aircraft flight test operations.