Principal Electrical Engineer, Shield AI
Power Systems
$207.6-311.3k
+ Bonus + Equity
Building AI aircraft pilots
Open for applications
Building AI aircraft pilots
501-1000 employees
Open for applications
$207.6-311.3k
+ Bonus + Equity
501-1000 employees
Company mission
Shield AI's mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
Role
Who you are
- Power system design experience on large aircraft, such as Group 4 or Group 5
- Understanding of relevant avionics design standards for UAVs such as DO and MIL-STD
- 10+ years relevant experience
- Proficient with electrical engineering development tools, simulation, and test equipment
- Experience leading key aspects of product design and execution
- Strong technical fundamentals and analysis
What the job involves
- As a Principal Electrical Power Systems Engineer, you will play a critical role in shaping the next generation of aircraft power systems
- You will be responsible for architecting, designing, and deploying a robust, high-reliability power system that meets the unique demands of our aircraft
- This includes overseeing the development of an uninterruptible power system with a high-capacity battery, conducting make-vs-buy trade studies, and collaborating with third-party vendors to qualify subsystems
- You will lead a team of engineers, drive cross-functional collaboration, and ensure system performance through rigorous testing and validation
- Your expertise in power system design for large aircraft, combined with a deep understanding of industry standards and best practices, will be essential in delivering a state-of-the-art solution that meets both operational and environmental challenges
- Define and execute the vision of our next generation aircraft power system from concept to production
- Design, develop, and integrate state-of-the-art high-power systems tailored for optimal performance and reliability in harsh environments
- Design an uninterruptible power system with a high-capacity battery
- Make vs. buy trade studies. Select, test, and integrate modules for use in the aircraft
- Engage with 3rd party engineering and vendors as necessary to qualify subsystems and/or guide custom development efforts
- Ensure system performance and reliability is met through rigorous verification
- Debug complex problems related to the electrical design, environmental, manufacturing, etc
- Lead multiple engineers dedicated to the power system design
- Drive a cross-functional team to execute the top-level architecture
- Develop bench test setups and HIL infrastructure
- Provide mentorship, design review, and program execution leadership
- Work in a fast-paced environment
Our take
Self-driving vehicles present enormous benefits for the transportation industry, with the potential to increase the safety and efficiency of cars, trucks, and commercial airlines. However, such technological innovation is less present within the military transportation sector, despite the benefits that AI piloting would produce for the operation of drones and aircraft.
Shield AI is developing Hivemind, an AI-driven pilot that can operate drones and aircraft autonomously, without needing GPS, communications, or pilots. In addition to navigation, the technology is also designed to facilitate indoor building clearance, integrated defense breaching, and has the ability to learn and autonomously execute aircraft missions.
Whilst similar AI-driven pilot software has begun to appear in Chinese military research programs, Shield AI's target is the US. By developing fully autonomous piloting integrations for any type of aircraft, the company aims to future-proof the US military without the need for bespoke aircraft design. It has generated massive amounts of funding to support continued scaling and R&D efforts.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 12 rounds)
Mar 2025
$240m
LATE VC
Oct 2023
$300m
SERIES F
Total funding: $1.0bn
Company benefits
- Excellent Medical Coverage
- Mental Health Employee Assistance Program
- Paid Parental Leave
- Pet Insurance
- Flexible Work Hours
- Work From Home Benefits
- Relaxed Dress Code
- Unlimited Snacks and Beverages
- Gym Discount (San Diego)
- Onsite Gym (DC)
- Commuter Benefits
- 401k services and match
- Stock Benefits
Company HQ
Marina, San Diego, CA
Leadership
Ryan Tseng
(CEO)Experience as CEO, CTO and Founder of WiPower from 2006 to 2010. Technical Lead for Wireless Power Program for Qualcomm from 2010 to 2013.
Brandon Tseng
(President)Naval Officer for the US Navy from 2009 to 2015.
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