Aerodynamics & Performance Engineer
US$115,000 – US$175,000 / yr base salary
Posted 27 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Aerodynamics & Performance Engineer (R5732)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 5+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$115,000 – US$175,000 / yr |
|---|
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:
We are seeking an Aerospace Engineer to own the flight performance, endurance, and mass properties for V-BAT. In this role, you will serve as the technical authority on aircraft performance—translating flight dynamics, aircraft configuration, and environmental conditions into validated models that guide design decisions, payload integration, and autonomous flight software. You will work at the intersection of design, propulsion, guidance and controls, flight test, and go-to-market teams to continuously improve the capability and reliability of the aircraft.
What you'll do:
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Performance & Endurance Analysis: Develop and refine endurance, range, loiter, and cruise performance calculations based on flight dynamics, aircraft configuration, and operating environment (altitude, temperature, wind, and mission profile).
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Weight & Balance Ownership: Own the aircraft weight and center-of-gravity (CG) model, including tracking, allocation budgets, and reporting throughout design changes and configuration updates, ensuring CG remains within stable flight limits.
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Aero & Engine Modeling: Create, validate, and maintain the aerodynamic (lift, drag, and stability) and propulsion (engine) models of the aircraft for use by the Guidance and Controls team, supporting continuous improvement of the flight computer and autonomy stack.
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Cross-Functional Design Collaboration: Partner with Mechanical and Propulsion Design engineers to assess the weight, drag, and aerodynamic performance impacts of proposed design changes to the airframe, wing, and control surfaces.
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Payload & Configuration Evaluation: Collaborate with Go-To-Market teams to evaluate new payloads and estimate endurance and performance for new or customer-specific configurations.