Staff Engineer, Landing Gear Systems - Ranger (R6294)

About the role

Shield AI, a defense-tech company developing aircraft such as V-BAT and X-BAT, is hiring a Staff or Senior Staff Landing Gear Engineer for a new UAV platform. You will take full technical ownership of the landing gear architecture, kinematic mechanism design, structural analysis and vehicle integration, acting as the sole subject matter expert on the program. The work is done in a rapid-iteration development environment, balancing technical rigor with fast decisions and hands-on engineering.

Key responsibilities

• Lead landing gear architecture definition and trade studies (electro-mechanical vs hydro-mechanical actuation, fixed vs retractable kinematics, stowage packaging) to meet mass, volume and ground-handling requirements.
• Own the full CAD design lifecycle, including linkage kinematics, clearance envelopes, structural load paths, material selection and tolerance stack-ups.
• Perform first-principles stress and fatigue hand calculations, supported by linear/non-linear, modal and buckling FEA and dynamic landing load assessments.
• Size and select wheels, tires, brakes, shock absorption systems, actuators and nose wheel steering mechanisms.
• Write technical specifications and statements of work, evaluate vendors and drive supplier technical execution.
• Define test plans, design mechanical test fixtures, support drop tests and validate against performance requirements.
• Support prototype assembly, ground taxi testing and flight tests, resolving mechanism issues through root-cause analysis and rapid design changes.

Required profile

• Minimum 7 years (L4) to 12 years (L5) of direct experience in aerospace mechanism design, aircraft landing gear systems or primary structural development.
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Deep mastery of solid mechanics, kinematics, dynamics, fatigue, materials selection and GD&T/tolerance stack-ups.
• Proven track record sourcing aerospace hardware and working with mechanism and actuator suppliers.
• Ability to self-direct and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines.
• Secret clearance required.

Required skills

• Closed-form hand calculations and FEA (linear, non-linear, buckling, modal).
• 3D CAD modeling, mechanism layout and drawing release (Siemens NX preferred, or CATIA/Creo); PLM workflows.
• Preferred: UAV, autonomous aircraft or rotorcraft landing system experience; familiarity with MIL-STD-810, RTCA DO-160, AS6053 and MIL-A-8866/MIL-A-8867; machine shop or prototype fabrication experience.