{"id":3358890,"url":"https://alion.io/job/shield-ai-staff-engineer-propulsion-r5899-2","title":"Staff Engineer, Propulsion (R5899)","company":{"id":50,"name":"Shield AI","domain":"shield.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/shield-ai","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":74,"open_postings":84,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.845,"repost_share":0.012,"time_to_fill_p50_days":65,"computed_at":"2026-11-01T06:10:25Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"staff","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Dallas, United States","San Diego, United States","Washington, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":146000,"max":219000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":219000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"ANSYS","optional":true},{"name":"Siemens NX","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-27T16:45:38Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-27","last_verified_at":"2026-11-01T20:24:57Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":5,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":5},"description":"Job Description\nWe are seeking a highly motivated Staff Propulsion 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.\nYou will serve as a Responsible Engineer (RE) for critical propulsion hardware and capabilities, owning technical execution from requirements and architecture through procurement, integration, build, test, flight, and operational support. This role requires strong propulsion fundamentals, engineering judgment, and the ability to work across engine performance, hardware design, vehicle integration, test, and data analysis while serving as the focal point between suppliers and internal engineering teams.\nWhat You'll Do\nServe as the Responsible Engineer for assigned propulsion hardware or capabilities from requirements through procurement, build, test, flight, and operational deployment.\nOwn engine performance and integration activities, including requirements, interfaces, operability, transient behavior, performance margins, and vehicle-level impacts.\nLead technical design reviews, supplier engagements, and hardware procurement while ensuring propulsion hardware meets performance, thermal, structural, reliability, and mission requirements.\nPlan and execute propulsion testing, including instrumentation, procedures, data acquisition, performance validation, and test-to-flight readiness.\nAnalyze ground and flight data to understand engine behavior, quantify margin, identify anomalies, and drive design, control, or operational improvements.\nLead failure investigations and root cause efforts using analysis, inspection, testing, and data to develop effective corrective actions.\nWork hands-on with design engineers, technicians, controls, fluids, airframe, manufacturing, supply chain, test, and flight teams to integrate and iterate propulsion hardware.\nMentor less experienced engineers and technicians and help strengthen engineering practices across the propulsion team.\nRequired Qualifications\nBachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.\n7+ years of experience in aerospace propulsion development, integration, test, or flight operations, with demonstrated ownership of complex aerospace hardware.\nStrong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, compressible flow, and gas turbine engine performance, including thrust generation, fuel consumption, operability, and transient response.\nHands-on experience with propulsion hardware integration, instrumentation, testing, flight support, and technical failure investigations.\nStrong proficiency in Python or similar tools for engineering analysis, data reduction, and model correlation.\nDemonstrated ability to independently drive ambiguous technical problems to measurable results in a fast-paced development environment.\nU.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain security clearance.\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience with fighter-class, low-bypass turbofan, afterburning, or other high-performance gas turbine engines.\nExperience working with engine OEMs or aerospace suppliers through procurement, development, qualification, and integration.\nExperience with engine controls, performance tuning, transient validation, or propulsion and flight-control integration.\nFamiliarity with GFSSP, REFPROP, ANSYS, FEA, CFD, Siemens NX, or Teamcenter.\nBackground in 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