Senior Fuel Systems Engineer

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). 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 and Instagram.

Job Description:

Shield AI is building the world’s most advanced AI pilot to operate aircraft autonomously in high-threat environments. As a Senior Fuel Systems Engineer on the next-gen UAV program, you will play a mission-critical role in designing the next generation of fuel systems to power autonomous flight at scale.

This is an R&D-focused position at the earliest stages of a new platform. You will be responsible for the architecture, design, modeling, and integration of fuel subsystems for turbine-based propulsion systems. You’ll work hands-on with a cross-functional team of propulsion, mechanical, thermal, systems, and flight test engineers to create innovative solutions under aggressive timelines.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in ambiguity, embraces technical depth, and wants to own the end-to-end development of flight-critical fuel systems that have never been built before.

What you will do in this role:

• Architect and design early-stage fuel storage, pressurization, and delivery systems for a next-gen turbine-powered UAV platform
• Define system-level requirements and performance targets for propulsion-related fluid systems
• Model flow paths, pressure dynamics, and thermal behavior using tools like Simulink, MATLAB, and Thermal Desktop
• Perform concept trade studies on pump configurations, tank placements, material selection, and routing
• Lead the development of prototypes, component-level hardware, and test rigs to validate concepts
• Collaborate with structural, thermal, and propulsion design engineers to ensure seamless integration of fuel systems within constrained packaging volumes
• Write detailed engineering documentation including block diagrams, FMEA, design justifications, and test plans
• Support in-house and vendor-led development of valves, pumps, sensors, and fittings with flight-critical reliability
• Present design concepts and tradeoffs to technical leadership for fast-paced design reviews
• Work closely with test engineering to define instrumentation strategy and support ground/flight test analysis

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of experience working on aerospace fuel systems, turbomachinery fluids, or propulsion support systems
• Experience designing or developing fuel tanks, pumps, regulators, pressure vessels, or thermal conditioning systems
• Hands-on experience with CAD tools (e.g., Creo, NX) and ability to collaborate on packaging and installation
• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink, Thermal Desktop, and/or ANSYS for thermal-fluid modeling
• Strong understanding of aerospace-grade components, fittings, lines, safety factors, and failure modes
• Able to lead concept through prototype phases with limited requirements and high autonomy
• Excellent communication and documentation skills — thrives in a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary environment

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering field
• Experience with DoD programs or working on UAVs / Group 3–5 platforms
• Experience with flight-critical MIL-STD-810G, DO-160, or NASA propulsion specs
• Familiarity with AIr- or gas-turbine-based propulsion systems
• Active or previous DoD security clearance

$114,989 - $172,483 a year

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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.