Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
Are you a passionate and innovative Thermal Engineer looking to help develop state of the art aircraft? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission driven and values focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you!
As a Thermal Engineer at Shield AI, you will lead the design, analysis, and integration of aircraft avionics thermal management systems. We are designing a high voltage, high power system using custom power electronics and energy storage. This role is best suited for an engineer who thrives on first-principles problem solving, is comfortable with design challenges, and values extreme ownership. The engineer will be a key contributor in ensuring robust thermal solutions that meet mission-critical aerospace requirements.
What you'll do:
Own thermal analysis and design efforts for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics including custom power electronics
Develop and validate analytical, numerical, and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow using hand calculations and CFD tools such as FloEFD
Provide input to trade studies, system architecture decisions, and risk assessments
Assist cross-functional teams designing power electronic circuits and environmental enclosures
Contribute to design requirements that impact circuit part selection, board layout, material selection, and other design aspects
Drive test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results
Communicate technical findings clearly through executive-level briefings, design reviews, and written reports
Proactively identify risks, propose solutions, and influence electrical and/or PCBA design direction
Required qualifications:
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
Internship or engineering club experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering
Knowledge of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics
Familiarity with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+)
Experience with CAD design tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or similar
Demonstrated experience applying first-principles reasoning to engineering problems
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of leading technical discussions and presenting to stakeholders
Proven ability to learn and adapt quickly to new tools, processes, and technical challenges in a fast paced, startup environment
Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
