POSTING ACTIVE · REQ-EEB96 · FY26.Q3
Principal Engineer, Electrical (R5909)
[ COMPENSATION RANGE · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$210,000 – $310,000USD
MIDPOINT
$260,000
SPREAD
$100,000
LEVEL
SENIOR
TECHNICAL STACK · 1 TAGS
§ 01
OVERVIEW
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.
§ 02
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Shield AI is pioneering AI pilots for aircraft that protect service members and civilians - pushing the boundaries of autonomous flight. V-BAT is designed for deployment in the most demanding, high-stakes environments.
We are looking for an Electrical Engineer to join our team, focused on the design, integration and troubleshooting of electronics systems critical to our aircraft. This role is perfect for an engineer with a solid foundation in power, embedded and control systems who is eager to grow, own challenging projects, and see their work move rapidly from concept to flight. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, enjoy solving complex problems, and want to help build the future of autonomous aviation, we want to hear from you.
§ 03
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Own flight critical avionics designs for V-BAT
- Own circuit and sub-system design for V-BAT and its support equipment. This includes complex system architectures utilizing custom circuitry (power management, analog, digital, servos, microcontrollers, sensors, radios, etc.)
- Lead others to execute design, verification, and manufacturing deployment
- Provide mentorship and technical feedback to others on the power team and cross-functionally
- Harden the designs for harsh environments such as shock/vibe, high reliability, radiation, and high-altitude
- Full-cycle hardware development: Own the entire flow - concept, modeling, worst case analysis, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, design reiteration for improving design maturity, testing and validation
- PCB ownership: Drive PCB layout and design with ECAD engineers, optimizing for power density, EMI, thermal, and manufacturability
- Design for Safety, Manufacturability and Reliability: Design robust systems keeping in mind best practices for safety, manufacturing and reliability
- Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with Mechanical, CAD, Embedded, Software, Supply Chain, Test Automation, Production and various aircraft teams throughout the product lifecycle
- Design review leadership: Lead and contribute to cross-functional reviews ensuring robust, high-integrity engineering decisions. Mentor junior engineers that support your design
- Program execution: Manage project timelines, deliverables, and technical milestones to drive on-time, high-quality outcomes
- Help define technical product requirements and features
§ 04
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering; or equivalent work experience
- You have 10+ years of industry experience as an Electrical Engineer
- Strong technical fundamentals
- You are experienced with: circuit design, schematic capture, component selection, circuit testing, and debugging
- You have a demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others
- Proactively identify opportunities for improvement within hardware development projects, demonstrating initiative to propose and implement innovative solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and overall project success and aircraft reliability
#LI-JW4
#LF
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.
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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.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- How much does the Principal Engineer, Electrical (R5909) at Shield AI pay?
- The posting lists a range of $210K–$310K per year. Ranges reflect what Shield AI publicly declared on the source posting.
- Where is this Principal Engineer, Electrical (R5909) role based?
- The role is based in San Diego, California.
- What experience does Shield AI expect for this role?
- The posting is tagged as a senior-level role, typically 5+ years of experience. Check the requirements section for specifics.
- Where is Shield AI headquartered?
- Shield AI is headquartered in San Diego, USA.
- How was this posting sourced?
- This role was pulled directly from Shield AI's Lever careers site. Apply links open in the employer's own ATS — no reposts or aggregator middleware.
[ APPLICATION ROUTE ]LEVER · External ATS
Apply links open in the employer's official ATS. Always verify recruitment messages on the company's careers page before sharing personal information.
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