Stress Analyst
US$170,000 – US$260,000 / yr base salary
Posted 24 Sep 2026
Advertised as “Senior Staff Engineer, Aerostructures Stress Analyst (RX) (R5845)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Level
- R5845
- Expected experience
- 10+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$170,000 – US$260,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyAerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Study levelMaster's or higher
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 a highly motivated engineer to support the design, development, integration, and fielding of a next-generation autonomous aircraft system. This position requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability. The ideal candidate is comfortable solving complex problems, taking ownership, working within an accelerated aircraft development environment, and is motivated by getting meaningful capability into the hands of operators quickly.
What you'll do:
- Lead structural analysis efforts for UAV airframes, major substructures, and critical components within a program scope.
- Define and execute finite element modeling approaches, load cases, assumptions, and margin assessments.
- Perform and oversee static, modal, fatigue, vibration, and damage-tolerance analyses.
- Establish sound practices for hand calculations, model validation, and analysis-to-test correlation.
- Drive structural optimization across performance, weight, cost, and manufacturability targets.
- Support structural test strategy, including defining requirements, participating in execution, and correlating results to analysis.
- Review structural analysis deliverables, test reports, and technical documentation for design reviews.
- Mentor and technically guide structural analysts across varying experience levels.
- Partner cross-functionally with design, loads, aero, propulsion, and systems teams to balance structural requirements with overall aircraft performance goals.
- Contribute to evolving analysis methodologies and improving structural standards within the organization.