Senior Mechanical Engineer, Sustaining (R2972)

Introduction to Shield AIFounded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown a fighter jet (F-16), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (V-BAT), and a quadcopter (Nova). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington DC and abroad. Shield AI’s products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. allies.

Job Description: Are you a passionate and innovative product design engineer looking to help develop state of the art AI and robotics products? 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!

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Sustaining Engineer to join our growing team. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in supporting and enhancing the production of existing products while driving continuous improvement initiatives. You will be responsible for ensuring product quality, resolving technical issues in manufacturing, and supporting ongoing product lifecycle management.

What you'll do: As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, Sustaining, you will be responsible for supporting the mechanical design and production development of Shield AI's autonomous UAV products. You will be the interface between engineering and manufacturing, supporting production deployment of new products and maintaining existing product lines. You will lead design for manufacturing, cost reduction, production line optimization, and new vendor qualification efforts for new and existing Shield AI products. You will architect new products, perform the detailed design of complex electro-mechanical assemblies, and will use best in class design and analysis tools. You will collaborate closely with internal and/or external partners to prototype, test and release products to production. You will also ensure product features achieve performance, schedule, and reliability goals.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or relevant discipline).
• 5+ years of experience in sustaining engineering, manufacturing support, or related roles in a high-tech, fast-paced production environment.
• Strong technical background with experience in troubleshooting product design and manufacturing issues.
• Proven ability to drive root cause analysis and implement effective corrective actions.
• Experience with design tools such as CAD (NX, SolidWorks, etc.) and PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset for continuous improvement.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

Preferred qualifications:

• Knowledge of regulatory, quality, and compliance standards (e.g., REACH, RoHS, ITAR, DFAR).
• Leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and support junior engineers
• Familiarity with composite materials, electronics, and harness design.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or a similar highly regulated industry.
• Experience working with complex assemblies and supporting the release of new product variants.