Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer - Harness Design (San Diego)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise-EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge-as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI's technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.

Job Description:

Shield AI is on a mission to build the world's best AI pilot-and we're looking for a Senior Staff Harness Design Engineer to help power that vision. In this high-impact, high-ownership role, you'll take the lead in architecting and designing the complex wire harnesses and cable assemblies that are the nervous system of our next-generation autonomous UAV platform.

Your deep expertise in harness design won't just support the mission-it will enable it. From concept to deployment, you'll play a critical role in ensuring reliability, precision, and performance in the field, where failure is not an option.

If you're passionate about cutting-edge aerospace technology and want to build systems that make a real-world difference, this is your chance to make your mark-on the ground and in the skies.

What you'll do:

• Lead design of wire harnesses and cable assemblies for autonomous UAVs
• Own harness design process: concept, 3D CAD routing, analysis, and drawing release
• Perform electrical and environmental analysis for harness reliability
• Prototype and test harnesses in dynamic, mission-critical environments
• Collaborate with avionics, systems, and manufacturing teams for integration
• Mentor engineers and drive harness design best practices

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
• 8+ years in wire harness design for aerospace or robotics
• Strong CAD skills (NX or CATIA preferred) for 3D harness modeling
• Experience using EWIS design software (Zuken, Capital, etc)
• Expertise in GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards
• Experience with electrical schematics and connector selection
• Hands-on experience with harness fabrication or testing
• Ability to work independently and lead in fast-paced, cross-functional teams
• A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience designing harnesses for UAVs, aircraft, or spacecraft
• Familiarity with EWIS compliance and RTCA DO-160 testing
• Proficiency in failure mode analysis (FMEA) and root cause investigations
• Knowledge of Teamcenter or similar PLM systems

$161,019 - $241,529 a year

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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.