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Staff Engineer, Fluid and Mechanical Systems (RX) (R6000)

Shield AI· RaptorX – RaptorX Engineering - Mechanical
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Hybrid (Dallas, Texas / Washington, D.C.)$142.9k - $214.3kFull Time EmployeePosted 4w ago

About the role

Staff (L4) Fluid and Mechanical Systems Engineer responsible for hands-on, multi-disciplinary design of fluid and thermal systems for a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft, including ram-air circuits, liquid cooling, ECS/TMS fluid architecture, and related mechanical installations.

Responsibilities

  • Fluid System Layouts: Develop and mature aircraft fluid system layouts for ram-air circuits, liquid cooling loops, ECS/TMS fluid circuits, and hydraulic distribution as applicable, including routing, packaging, and installation concepts.
  • Fluid and Thermal Sizing: Perform pressure-drop, flow-balance, pump and reservoir sizing, and thermal-transport capacity calculations to establish system performance and hardware requirements.
  • Modeling and Analysis: Build and maintain fluid and thermal system models using Flowmaster, AMESim, GFSSP, or equivalent tools to support design decisions, trade assessments, and requirements verification.
  • Mechanical Design Support: Design supporting mechanical hardware, brackets, mounts, line supports, and installation provisions; perform tolerance analysis, clearance assessments, hand calculations, and basic FEA as needed.
  • Component and Hardware Selection: Select and specify pumps, valves, heat exchangers, accumulators, filters, lines, fittings, actuators, and associated hardware for fluid and actuated system installations.
  • Vehicle Integration: Resolve interfaces with structures, EWIS, thermal management, electrical power, and adjacent mechanical systems, including routing, maintainability, and installation-clearance requirements.
  • System Robustness: Support failure mode analysis, contamination control, leak prevention, and system-level redundancy definition for assigned fluid and actuated systems.
  • Hardware and Supplier Execution: Support component sourcing, technical specifications, supplier technical execution, prototype assembly, and test-fixture development.
  • Qualification and Hardware Delivery: Define and execute qualification test plans per MIL-STD-810, using results to mature the design into production-ready hardware and support MIL-HDBK-516 Airworthiness Certification.

Qualifications

  • Clearance required: US Citizens Only & Must have an Active Secret or higher clearance.
  • Experience: 7 to 12 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.

Skills

Required:Fluid system sizing and analysisFluid and thermal system modeling tools3D CAD modeling and drawing releaseMechanical design for brackets, mounts, supportsHardware sourcing and supplier executionSystem integration and vehicle interfacesFailure mode analysis and robustnessAutonomy/fast-paced development environment

Benefits

  • Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
  • Temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
  • Salary compensation influenced by skill set, experience, licenses, certifications, and location
  • Background check and reference checks may apply
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

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