Staff Propulsion Design Engineer

Staff Propulsion Design Engineer (Dallas)

Join to apply for the Staff Propulsion Design Engineer (Dallas) role at Shield AI

Staff Propulsion Design Engineer (Dallas)

Join to apply for the Staff Propulsion Design Engineer (Dallas) role at Shield AI

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Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X , YouTube and Instagram.
Job Description:
We are seeking a highly skilled Propulsion Design Engineer IV to serve as a senior technical contributor within our propulsion team. This role focuses on the design, release, and continual improvement of mechanical components and assemblies for internal combustion and jet propulsion systems on UAV platforms.
As a senior design engineer, you’ll lead complex CAD efforts, enforce rigorous design standards, and collaborate directly with Responsible Engineers, technicians, machinists, and production teams to ensure our propulsion hardware is functional, manufacturable, and testable. You will be the cornerstone of configuration control, interface discipline, and design-for-execution within the team.
What you will do in this role:

• Own the design of propulsion components and subsystems from concept through production release
• Develop and maintain high-quality CAD models, detailed drawings, and assemblies using Siemens NX with fully applied GD&T
• Write and enforce propulsion design standards and contribute to company-wide design best practices
• Collaborate closely with the machine shop, production team, and technicians to support builds, resolve non-conformances, and drive iterative improvements
• Develop initial work instructions, assembly guidance, and design documentation for repeatability and scalability
• Ensure designs are practical, manufacturable, and cost-effective, with strong understanding of machining, tolerances, materials, and assembly workflows
• Apply engineering analysis and judgment (e.g., hand calcs, GFSSP, ANSYS, FEA, REFPROP) to support sizing, load cases, and design validation
• Support configuration management, BOM control, and change processes using Teamcenter or equivalent PLM
• Participate in design reviews, interface control working groups, and root cause investigations
  

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• 7+ years of experience in mechanical design for aerospace, with direct propulsion hardware experience preferred
• Expert-level proficiency in CAD modeling and drawing creation (NX preferred) and application of GD&T
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with production, machine shop personnel, and technicians to solve real-time hardware issues
• Familiarity with design for manufacturing, including machining processes, surface modeling, stack-up analysis, and fabrication limitations
• Hands-on experience developing assembly work instructions, troubleshooting build issues, and implementing hardware-driven design changes
• Experience with configuration management, PLM systems (Teamcenter), and BOM structure
• U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements
  

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with GFSSP, REFPROP, ANSYS, FEA, or other mechanical and thermal analysis tools
• Ability to write Python scripts for design automation, data analysis, or simulation support
• Proficient in interface control and tolerance stack-up analysis for complex assemblies
• Knowledge of fastening methods and joint design for high-vibration, aerospace environments
• Familiarity with high-temperature materials and design practices for thermally stressed components
• Prior experience designing hardware for internal combustion, turbine, or rocket propulsion systems, particularly in development or test environments
• M.S. or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
  

$141,305 - $211,957 a year
#LD
Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Software Development

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