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:
Shield AI is seeking a Staff Mechanical Specialist to lead hands-on mechanical build, design-support, and release activities for hardware test equipment. You will help turn engineering concepts into reliable fixtures, jigs, test stands, and mechanical assemblies used to test aircraft components and subsystems.
This is an advanced individual-contributor role for someone who combines strong fabrication and assembly judgment with practical CAD, troubleshooting, and documentation skills. You will independently plan and execute complex build assignments, contribute directly to fixture designs within agreed engineering requirements, and drive complete, accurate documentation through established release workflows. You will also mentor specialists and technicians and improve how the team designs, builds, and maintains test hardware, partnering with responsible engineers on analysis, safety-critical decisions, and design approval.
What you'll do:
Own complex mechanical builds: Plan and execute the fabrication coordination, assembly, fit-up, installation, and checkout of fixtures and mechanical test equipment. Identify required parts, tooling, build sequences, and dependencies, and resolve execution issues within approved requirements.
Contribute directly to fixture designs: Develop CAD models, assemblies, and drawings for fixtures, tooling, mounting hardware, and equipment modifications within an agreed design scope. Turn sketches and functional requirements into practical design proposals for engineering review.
Drive design-release execution: Prepare and check drawing packages, bills of materials, part records, and change documentation for completeness and consistency. Coordinate reviews, resolve documentation discrepancies, track approvals, and keep released records aligned with approved as-built configurations.
Resolve difficult build and integration problems: Investigate fit, alignment, tolerance, access, and repeatability issues using measurements and hands-on troubleshooting. Develop corrective proposals, obtain required engineering review, and implement approved changes.
Coordinate fabrication and suppliers: Work with internal shops and external suppliers to clarify fabrication documentation, address manufacturability concerns, and track hardware readiness. Resolve questions within approved documentation and escalate deviations or design changes to the responsible engineer.
Improve buildability and serviceability: Bring practical feedback into design reviews, including assembly access, locating and clamping approaches, inspection needs, maintenance, and replacement of wear components. Develop reusable build aids and documentation that reduce recurring rework.
Guide specialists and technicians: Help break down build assignments, demonstrate sound assembly and inspection practices, and check work against documented requirements. Share expertise and help teammates recognize when to stop and seek engineering guidance.
Support safe checkout and handoff: Verify mechanical assembly against approved requirements, support equipment checkout, and prepare clear operating, assembly, and maintenance instructions. Identify hazards, stop unsafe work, and escalate unresolved discrepancies before use.
Required qualifications:
Advanced hands-on capability: Demonstrated ability to independently plan, assemble, integrate, and troubleshoot complex mechanical fixtures, tooling, test equipment, or comparable hardware.
Practical mechanical design: Proficiency creating and modifying 3D CAD parts, assemblies, and manufacturing drawings, with evidence of contributing designs that were fabricated and used successfully.
Drawing and inspection judgment: Strong ability to interpret engineering drawings, dimensional tolerances, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, and assembly requirements, and to select appropriate measurement methods for fit and alignment checks.
Configuration and release discipline: Experience preparing and maintaining drawing packages, bills of materials, revisions, and engineering-change documentation through controlled workflows.
Build planning and fabrication coordination: Ability to translate approved designs into executable build plans, coordinate with shops and suppliers, and recognize changes that require engineering evaluation.
Technical leadership: Evidence of mentoring others, improving build or documentation practices, and communicating technical risks clearly while working within defined authority and review boundaries.
Preferred qualifications:
Relevant equipment experience: Experience with aerospace, robotics, automotive, or other precision mechanical test fixtures and electromechanical equipment.
Fabrication depth: Experience with machining, sheet metal, additive manufacturing, weldments, or other prototype and tooling fabrication methods.
Release tools: Experience with product data or lifecycle management systems and structured drawing-release or engineering-change workflows.
Test-system integration: Experience with instrumentation mounting, actuation hardware, cooling interfaces, or mechanical packaging for test systems.
Repeatable build methods: Experience developing standard fixture components, assembly instructions, inspection checklists, or reusable tooling across multiple equipment builds.
