Staff Engineer, Fluid and Mechanical Systems - Ranger (R6379)

Shield AI is hiring a Staff Engineer, Fluid and Mechanical Systems - Ranger (R6379) in Seattle, United States. It pays $170k-$255k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Shield AI.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
The posting mentions Siemens Nx, Catia and Creo among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a senior role.
Shield AI has 654 other open roles on Level.
Posted within the past two weeks.

AI in this role

Design and optimize fluid systems, thermal transport hardware, and mechanical layouts for UAV fighter aircraft.

siemens-nxcatiacreosolidworks

thermal-designfluid-dynamicsmechanical-engineeringaerospace

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.
As a Staff Fluid and Mechanical Systems Engineer, you will be a hands-on multi-disciplinary owner of fluid-system layouts, thermal transport hardware, and adjacent mechanical design for a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft. You will apply first-principles engineering to develop ram-air circuits, liquid cooling systems, ECS/TMS fluid architecture, and supporting mechanical installations that are buildable, maintainable, and ready for vehicle integration. This position requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability. The ideal candidate is comfortable solving complex problems, taking ownership, working within an accelerated aircraft development environment, and is motivated by getting meaningful capability into the hands of operators quickly.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: 6+ years of fluid systems design, thermal systems analysis, or mechanical systems installation experience in aerospace or a comparable regulated industry.
Education: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Core Fundamentals: Deep mastery of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, mechanical design fundamentals, and tolerance stack-up methodologies.
Modeling and Analysis: Demonstrated capability with fluid system sizing and analysis, including pressure drop, flow networks, heat transfer, and 1D fluid or thermal system modeling.
System Layout and Integration: Demonstrated ability to create fluid-system layouts and mechanical installations that satisfy routing, packaging, maintainability, structural-interface, and vehicle-integration requirements.
CAD and PLM: Experience in 3D CAD modeling, routing, layouts, and drawing release with Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo, SolidWorks, or equivalent PLM workflows.
Mechanical Design: Hands-on capability designing brackets, mounts, supports, and installation hardware using hand calculations, tolerance analysis, and basic structural analysis.
Hardware and Supplier Execution: Proven track record sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups.
Autonomy: Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Aircraft ram-air, liquid cooling, hydraulic, fuel, or thermal transport loop design experience.
ECS or thermal management system design and integration experience.
Experience with electro-mechanical or electro-hydrostatic actuation systems and associated mechanical installations.
Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, MIL-HDBK-516, and airworthiness verification planning for fluid and mechanical systems.
Hands-on prototype-build, fabrication, or mechanical assembly experience in a rapid R&D environment.
Eligible to obtain a Secret clearance.

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.

How we rate this

Staff Engineer, Fluid and Mechanical Systems - Ranger (R6379) at Shield AI rates 10 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Staff Engineer, Fluid and Mechanical Systems - Ranger (R6379) is an open job at Shield AI.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $170k-$255k a year.
The role is based in Seattle, Washington.
The job was posted on October 23, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by Shield AI. Apply on Shield AI

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Thermal DesignFluid DynamicsMechanical EngineeringAerospaceSiemens NxCatiaCreoSolidworks

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where thermal design was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where fluid dynamics was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where mechanical engineering was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where aerospace was part of your work. What did you do?
Walk me through how you've used Siemens Nx in your day-to-day work.

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Thermal Design, Fluid Dynamics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace, and Siemens Nx. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

Want an expert to read your CV for this job?

Free. Send your CV and the role you want next. You get your review by email within 24 hours.

Get a free CV review Get your CV rewritten Check your resume with the ATS resume checker