# Senior Staff Engineer, Flight Control Actuation Systems - Ranger (R6327) at Shield AI

- Company: Shield AI
- What the company does: Autonomy for the world. Backed by a16z.
- Company website: https://shield.ai
- Type: Startups (AI role)
- Level: Senior
- Location: Seattle, Washington
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $200K to $310K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-10-18
- Apply by: 2026-12-02
- Apply: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/ac52c9b2-f18d-49e5-bb0b-9e82e7b03ac9?utm_source=1752vc&utm_medium=careers
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/shield-ai-senior-staff-engineer-flight-control-actuation-systems-ranger-r6327/

## About the role

As a Senior Staff Engineer, you will take full technical ownership of flight control actuation system design for a Group 5 UAV fighter aircraft. You will work from first principles to define requirements, resolve actuator and integration trades, and drive qualified flight-control actuation hardware from design through production support. This position requires a balance of technical rigor, rapid decision-making, and hands-on engineering to efficiently transition concepts into operational capability. Found on 1752vc Careers, the job board for startup and VC roles.

## What they're looking for

- Experience: 8 to 15 years in flight control actuation system design on fixed-wing aircraft
- Education: B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Hardware and Supplier Execution: Proven track record sourcing COTS/custom aerospace components, driving suppliers to schedule, and assembling benchtop or vehicle-level test setups
- Autonomy: Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize technical tasks without oversight, and deliver functional hardware under tight timelines
- Dynamic Performance: Demonstrated experience with actuator dynamic performance analysis, including bandwidth, response, stability margins, failure mode analysis, and redundancy analysis
- Integration: Experience coordinating with flight controls and VMS engineers on actuator-control law integration

Tags: Ranger Eng - Mechanical

Source: 1752vc Careers, https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/shield-ai-senior-staff-engineer-flight-control-actuation-systems-ranger-r6327/