Principal Thermal Engineer - Aircraft Avionics & Thermal Systems (r3930)

Principal Thermal Engineer - Aircraft Avionics & Thermal Systems

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide.

Are you a passionate and innovative thermal engineer looking to help develop state of the art AI and aircraft products? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission-driven and values-focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you!

As a Principal Thermal Engineer at Shield AI, you will own and drive the architecture, design, and integration of avionics and aircraft-level thermal management systems, with opportunities to influence fluid systems and multidisciplinary designs. This role is best suited for an engineer who thrives on first-principles problem solving, can set technical direction for ambiguous, open-ended challenges, and bridges technical disciplines with clear communication and leadership. You will shape designs, guide engineering teams, and deliver robust thermal solutions that meet mission-critical aerospace requirements.

What You'll Do:

• Lead thermal analysis and design efforts for unmanned aerial vehicle avionics and aircraft-level thermal/fluid systems.
• Architect and validate analytical, numerical, and computational models for heat transfer and fluid flow using hand calculations and CFD tools such as FloEFD.
• Provide leadership in trade studies, system architecture decisions, and technical risk assessments.
• Define and oversee test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis to correlate models with experimental results.
• Mentor and guide cross-disciplinary teams in applying thermal/fluid fundamentals.
• Communicate technical findings through executive-level briefings, design reviews, and technical reports.
• Proactively identify program risks, propose solutions, and influence avionics and PCBA design direction.
• Represent Shield AI in technical reviews, proposals, and customer interactions.

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
• Minimum 12 years of professional experience in avionics or electronics thermal engineering.
• Deep expertise in heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation) and fluid mechanics.
• Advanced understanding of active and passive cooling solutions and their integration at the component and system level.
• Advanced knowledge of thermal management design elements including TIMs, spreaders, heat sinks, vapor chambers, heat pipes, and fans.
• Proficiency with thermal analysis and CFD tools (e.g., ANSYS Icepak, FloEFD, STAR-CCM+).
• Proficiency with CAD design tools such as NX, SolidWorks, or similar.
• Demonstrated ability to apply first-principles reasoning to complex engineering problems.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with experience presenting to executives and customers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Extensive experience with high-altitude aircraft avionics cooling and thermal design.
• Familiarity with aircraft integration constraints (power, weight, volume, maintainability, safety).
• Hands-on experience with thermal and fluid system testing, instrumentation, and validation.
• Knowledge of materials and manufacturing methods relevant to aerospace thermal management.
• Experience guiding trade studies, proposals, and customer interactions in aerospace or defense programs.
• Background in multi-disciplinary system integration, spanning avionics, fluid systems, and systems engineering.

$194,094 - $291,140 a year