Structural Analyst

Introduction to Shield AI

Founded 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:

As a Senior Staff Structural Analyst, you will be responsible for leading the structural analysis of Shield AI’s autonomous UAV products. You will work with Mechanical, Systems, Propulsion and Aerospace Engineering to bring designs to life. You will be a primary contributor on a team that develops hardware to support the V-BAT mission!

The structural analyst will be expected to present their work for peer reviews and to be a peer reviewer for other engineers’ work. The customers of this position will include internal personnel and programs as well as external customer personnel and programs. The selected candidate will work with the customer and engineering leadership to define testing required to validate structural analyses and to verify that hardware is compliant with requirements. In addition, the selected candidate will be expected to plan and support tests, perform data reduction, and engage in structural model correlation. The candidate will also be expected to assist with proposal preparation including estimating the scope of new engineering projects.

• Build finite element models and/or statistical energy analysis models for use in dynamic simulations.
• Perform various structural analyses required to design the product including fatigue, modal, static, random vibration, transient shock, acoustic analysis.
• Perform parametric design studies to improve design concepts & efficiency.
• Generate test requirements (static and dynamic) as well as the overall qualification and acceptance test approach for avionics components, primary structures and secondary structures.
• Develop standards to be used on FEA; define tools & acceptable post-processing methods.
• Execute testing (quasi-static, sine & random vibration, shock, and acoustic) from start-to-finish.
• Analyze flight telemetric history data from tests & flights for use in structural analysis.
• Provide vehicle loads, dynamic design guidelines and requirements to mechanical designers in early phases of hardware development.
• Be a key part of the engineering, analysis, and test cycle by interfacing with design and test engineers to perform analyses, conduct structural tests, interpret results, and iterate to solutions.
• Help guide the selection and location of instrumentation for refining loads models based on flight and test environments.
• Improve the existing analytical capabilities, processes, and tools.
• Develop and document Technical Reports in a clear, concise manner so that they can correlate to past analyses as well as inform future analyses.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 8+ years work experience in aerospace, aircraft, or automotive loads and dynamics analysis.
• Developed FEM models of carbon fiber fuselage air vehicles.
• Background in finite element modeling (ANSYS / Hyperworks / NASTRAN).
• Background in structural analysis and test, including a fundamental understanding of strength, stability and fatigue failure mechanisms.
• Demonstrated ability of working with design engineers symbiotically to create efficient designs that satisfy broad requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to validate FEA models with test data.
• Strong understanding of commonly used materials and carbon fiber composites & their mechanical/thermal behavior.
• Comfortable with data processing tools ranging from Excel to custom scripts built with VBA, Python, MATLAB, etc.
• Excited to work in a fast-paced, self-driven, iterative startup environment.
• Self-motivated with strong organizational, communication and documentation skills.

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of industry experience with space or aerospace structural engineering.
• Proficiency with bonded joint modeling and analysis.
• Experience in coupled loads analysis or random response analysis.
• Experience in flutter and aeroelasticity analysis.
• Knowledgeable in application of vibration/shock specification and test methodologies.
• Experience in modal testing and analysis.
• Have conducted random and quasi-static electro-dynamic vibration tests; measured and analyzed time histories of the system response.
• Have experience with mechanical CAD (NX, SW or similar) and PLM (Teamcenter or similar).
• Prior UAV or aircraft experience.

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Total package details:

Regular employee positions: Salary within range listed above + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee positions: Hourly within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

*Interns/Military Fellows/Part-time not eligible for bonus, benefits or equity

Actual 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.

If you're interested in being part of our team, apply now! 

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.