Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (r4793)

Shield AI Shield AI · Defense · Dallas, TX · X-BAT Engineering - Mechanical

Shield AI is seeking a Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems to lead the design, development, and optimization of fluid and thermal systems for their autonomous UAVs and ground systems. This role involves technical leadership, innovation, prototyping, testing, and integration of solutions in challenging environments, with a focus on first-principles engineering and advanced simulations.

What you'd actually do

  1. Own design and analysis of fluid and thermal systems for aircraft and ground platforms.
  2. Develop and implement innovative thermal solutions
  3. Use first-principles engineering to drive design decisions to yield optimal solutions
  4. Research technologies for integration into complex solutions
  5. Conduct advanced simulations to predict system performance and refine designs

Skills

Required

  • Fluid or Thermal System design
  • Heat transfer
  • Fluid dynamics
  • Thermodynamics
  • System-level thermal management
  • MATLAB Simscape
  • Amesim
  • MATLAB
  • Python
  • 3D CAD modeling
  • Siemens NX
  • Supplier management
  • COTS component sourcing

Nice to have

  • Fluid & thermal system design, analysis, manufacture and test for aircraft
  • Fluid and thermal system effects on aircraft performance
  • Startup or R&D environments
  • Environmental standards and certification processes for aerospace or defense systems

What the JD emphasized

  • Minimum 10+ years of experience in Fluid or Thermal System design, with a proven track record of technical excellence.
  • 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