Lead design and delivery of flight-critical power electronics for the X-BAT aircraft, including inverters, DC-DC converters, and battery management. Own full hardware development cycle, drive PCB layout, harden designs for harsh environments, mentor engineers, lead reviews, and manage program timelines through production.
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.
Job Description:
Shield AI is redefining autonomous aviation with cutting-edge AI and GPS/RF-denied navigation technologies. Now, we’re building our next-generation aircraft XBAT like no other—one that will push the boundaries of innovation and performance.
We’re looking for a Principal Power Electronics Engineer to own the design of power electronics and the system they integrate with on the X-BAT aircraft. This includes architecture and converter design, development, and delivery across our aircraft programs. You will define requirements and be responsible for design from concept to production. If you excel in cross-functional collaboration, thrive in fast-moving environments, and are passionate about pushing the limits of power system design, we want to hear from you.
What you'll do:
- Own flight critical power system design for X-BAT
- Design power electronics for the high voltage and low voltage systems. This includes inverters, DC-DC converters, battery management, and other power electronics
- 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
- Work on power sub-systems and designs for both low power (<1 kW) and high power (>10 kW)
- 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
Required qualifications:
- You have a B.S. in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
- You have 10+ years of experience as an Electrical Engineer
- 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
- Familiarity with Altium or equivalent
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.
#LI-JM2
#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.
###
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.
Similar Jobs at Shield
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software • Defense Technology
Owns military and SkillBridge recruiting programs from intake through conversion. Responsibilities include managing eligibility, matching fellows to teams, coordinating compliant onboarding with HR, Legal, and Security, converting fellows to full-time employees, translating military qualifications into civilian role fit, building veteran talent partnerships, representing the company at military hiring events, and tracking recruiting pipeline and conversion metrics.
Top Skills:
Applicant Tracking System (Ats)EarItar
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software • Defense Technology
Build and scale the global treasury function, overseeing cash positioning, liquidity planning, banking relationships, cash forecasting, working capital strategies, FX exposure, hedging support, debt covenant compliance, intercompany funding, and treasury governance. Partner with FP&A, Accounting, Legal, Tax, and other teams to support financial decision-making and global growth.
Aerospace • Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software • Defense Technology
Own university recruiting strategy and full-cycle hiring for interns, co-ops, and new graduates across engineering and select business functions. Build campus partnerships and employer brand, manage career events, lead technical candidate evaluation, close offers, support onboarding, and drive intern-to-full-time conversion. Partner with senior leaders on workforce planning, track funnel and school ROI metrics, and optimize recruiting strategy. Travel is required during peak campus recruiting season.
Top Skills:
Applicant Tracking Systems (Ats)C++EarItarSourcing Tools
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
