Harness Design Engineer
US$166,000 – US$300,000 / yr base salary
Posted 25 Mar 2026
Advertised as “Staff Engineer, Mechanical - Harness Design (R4594)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Level
- R4594
- Expected experience
- 8+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$166,000 – US$300,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyAerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Study levelBachelor's
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 seeking a Staff Harness Design Engineer with deep expertise in harness design to support the development of our next-generation autonomous UAV platform. In this high-ownership role, you will lead the architecture, design, and development of precision wire harnesses and cable assemblies that are critical to mission success.
What you'll do:
- Lead design of wire harnesses and cable assemblies for autonomous UAVs
- Own harness design process: concept, 3D CAD routing, analysis, and drawing release
- Perform electrical and environmental analysis for harness reliability
- Prototype and test harnesses in dynamic, mission-critical environments
- Collaborate with avionics, systems, and manufacturing teams for integration
- Mentor engineers and drive harness design best practices
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering
- 8+ years in wire harness design for aerospace or robotics
- Strong CAD skills (NX or CATIA preferred) for 3D harness modeling
- Experience using EWIS design software (Zuken, Capital, etc)
- Expertise in GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards
- Experience with electrical schematics and connector selection
- Hands-on experience with harness fabrication or testing
- Ability to work independently and lead in fast-paced, cross-functional teams
- A demonstrated record of working hard, being trustworthy, holding yourself to high standards, and being kind to others
- Ability to obtain a S//SAR level security clearance desired.