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Shield AI

a16z portfolio company

EWIS Harness Design - Engineer I

Location
Seattle, Washington
Work arrangement
On-site
Job type
Full-time
Compensation
USD 95,000–140,000

About the role

Posted Oct 16, 2026

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 on a mission to build the world’s best aircraft—and we’re looking for a Harness Design Engineer to help power that vision. In this high-impact, high-ownership role, you’ll be designing complex wire harnesses and cable assemblies that are the nervous system of X-BAT, our next-generation autonomous UAV platform. 

Your expertise in harness design won’t just support the mission—it will enable it. From concept to deployment, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring reliability, precision, and performance in the field, where failure is not an option. 

If you’re passionate about cutting-edge aerospace technology and want to build systems that make a real-world difference, this is your chance to make your mark—on the ground and in the skies. 

What you'll do:

  • Design wire harnesses and cable assemblies for X-BAT and supporting ground equipment
  • Collaborate with electrical engineering to define connector selection, current/voltage requirements, shielding, and other design aspects
  • Perform electrical, mechanical, and environmental analysis for harness reliability 
  • Prototype and test harnesses in dynamic, mission-critical environments 
  • Collaborate with avionics, systems, supply chain, and manufacturing teams for integration 
  • Lead technicians in building, testing, and debugging various parts of the EWIS system

Required qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering 
  • 0-2 years working with wire harness designs for automotive, aerospace, or robotics. Professional, personal, or club experience is acceptable
  • 3D CAD modeling tool experience, such as NX or CATIA
  • Knowledge of GD&T best practices, 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 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.
#LI-JM2
#LA

Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
 
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
 
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
 
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. 

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At a glance

Location
Seattle, Washington
Workplace
On-site
Employment
Full-time
Team
X-BAT Division
Compensation
USD 95,000–140,000
Apply for this role

You’ll be taken to Shield AI to apply.

The company

Shield AI

Shield AI

Shield AI's mission is to protect service members and innocent civilians with artificially intelligent systems. Our initial focus is on the last several miles of the battlefield where we lack capability to collect intelligence. This area is beyond the view of high altitude sensors, too dangerous for people, and too complex for robots to navigate. Consequently, service members are asked to make life altering decisions with limited information. Mistakes are made that cost lives and incur massive collateral damage. Such mistakes cause the United States to lose support of local populations and make conflict unwinnable. This problem is widely recognized throughout the DoD, including the most senior leadership. To address this problem, we are building swarms of small intelligent robots to collect the critical missing information. The systems will scour indoor and outdoor spaces in search of threats and innocent people. They will be deployed by people, trucks, ships, aircraft, and other robots. These robots will become more numerous in combat areas than soldiers. Synthesized information will be presented to service members who will be empowered to make decisions leading to intended outcomes without collateral damage. Conflict becomes less brutal.

Series G

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