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Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (R5620)

Shield AI· X-BAT Division – X-BAT Engineering - Mechanical
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Seattle, Washington, Dallas, Texas$266k - $400kFull Time EmployeePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Senior leadership role leading design, development, and optimization of fluid and thermal systems for Shield AI's autonomous UAVs and ground systems, from concept to production, with technical leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

  • 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

Qualifications

  • Minimum 15+ 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.

Skills

Required:Fluid and thermal system designFirst-principles engineeringSimulations and modelingSystem integrationSupplier managementMentoring

Benefits

  • Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
  • Salary compensation is influenced by skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and location
  • All offers contingent on cleared background and possible reference check
  • Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Shield AI

Autonomy for the world.

Our mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.

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