Skip to main content

Shield AI

Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (R4793)

Seattle, Washington, United States +2

Location
Seattle, Washington, United States · Washington, District of Columbia, United States · Dallas, Texas, United States
Work
On-site
Employment
Full-time
Level
Lead / staff
Function
Engineering
Pay
$250K – $370K a year
Posted
6 months ago

About the role

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 an experienced and innovative Fluid & Thermal Systems Engineer looking to help shape the future of AI and robotics technology? Are you eager to make a meaningful impact on cutting-edge products that matter? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment alongside highly motivated and values-focused teammates? Shield AI is the perfect place for you!

As a Staff Fluid & Thermal Systems Engineer at Shield AI, you will lead the design, development, and optimization of fluid and thermal systems for our advanced autonomous UAVs and ground systems. Your expertise fluid & thermal system design will drive innovation, prototyping, testing, and the successful integration of solutions that operate reliably in challenging environments. This role requires technical leadership, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and an unwavering commitment to delivering excellence from concept to production.

What you'll do

  • Own design and analysis of fluid and thermal systems for aircraft and ground platforms.
  • Develop and implement innovative thermal solutions
  • Use first-principles engineering to drive design decisions to yield optimal solutions
  • Research technologies for integration into complex solutions
  • Conduct advanced simulations to predict system performance and refine designs
  • Execute testing and validation efforts, including data acquisition, post-processing, and verification against requirements
  • Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to integrate fluid and thermal system designs into larger system architectures.
  • Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering technical growth and excellence within the team.
  • Identify suppliers and build successful supplier management relationships for procurement of components or systems for fluid and thermal system designs
  • Other duties as assigned

Required qualifications

  • Minimum 10+ years of experience in Fluid or Thermal System design, with a proven track record of technical excellence.
  • B.S. or advanced degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related Engineering discipline.
  • Deep understanding of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and system-level thermal management.
  • Experience implementing system models in commercial tools, such as MATLAB Simscape, Amesim, etc.
  • Experience developing custom engineering models in Excel and in languages such as MATLAB, Python, etc.
  • Experience in fluid and thermal system testing, including sensor integration, data acquisition, and analysis.
  • Expertise in 3D CAD modeling tools such as Siemens NX or equivalent.
  • Demonstrated ability to execute projects with minimal oversight, assume full ownership, and deliver exceptional outcomes.
  • Excellence in supplier management, COTS component sourcing, optimization/trade studies
  • Proven success in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
  • Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.

Preferred qualifications

  • Extensive experience with fluid & thermal system design, analysis, manufacture and test for aircraft
  • Familiarity with fluid and thermal system effects on aircraft performance
  • Familiarity with startup or R&D environments, demonstrating adaptability and agility under pressure.
  • Strong knowledge of environmental standards and certification processes for aerospace or defense systems.
  • A passion for innovation and the ability to push boundaries in fluid & thermal system development.

#LI-MS1

#LF

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.

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.

Source

Posted by Shield AI on their own hiring page, jobs.lever.co. OptiTalent shows it as published, read 07 Nov 2026 02:06 UTC; the original is the reference.

View the original ad ↗

More at Shield AI

  • Shield AI · Dallas, Texas, United States

    On-siteFull-timeDirector$174.4K – $261.6K a yearOperations

    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…

  • Shield AI · United States

    On-siteFull-timeLead / staff$145K – $220K a yearData & AI

    The Senior Staff Data Engineer will help build and operate the enterprise lakehouse on Databricks, creating the governed data foundation that supports multiple business domains and downstream analytics. This is a hands-on role, responsible for scalable ingestion, reliable data…

  • Shield AI · Seattle, Washington, United States +1

    On-siteFull-timeSenior$140K – $210K a yearEngineering

    We are looking for a driven and hands-on test professional to support aircraft and system testing in a fast-paced aerospace environment on our XBAT program. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex problems, working closely with cross-functional teams, and…

  • Shield AI · United States

    On-siteFull-timeLead / staff$175K – $315K a yearSecurity

    Shield AI is seeking a Senior Staff Systems Security Engineer specializing in Program Protection, Anti-Tamper (AT), and Critical Program Information (CPI) to support the development of next-generation autonomous military aircraft and associated mission systems.