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Shield AI

Manager, Engineering - Structural Design (R5633)

Location

Dallas, TX

Wage

$150,000 – $230,000/yr

Employment Type

Full-time

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Posted on September 3, 2026

Job Description

Overview

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company focused on protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. They are seeking an Aerostructures Design Manager to lead the design and development of structural components for next-generation autonomous aircraft.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the design and development of high-performance structural components from concept through production release.
  • Work cross-functionally to ensure structural integrity, manufacturability, and system integration.
  • Support the development of structural components for advanced autonomous aircraft.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline.
  • 8+ years of experience in aircraft structural design or closely related aerospace structures.
  • Experience with team leadership as a project or IPT style team lead.
  • Experience designing and releasing structural components in development or production environments.
  • Working knowledge of composite and metallic structures, including fasteners, bonded joints, and load paths.
  • Proficiency in CAD tools (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar).
  • Understanding of GD&T, tolerance stackups, and DFMA principles.
  • Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership engineering environments.
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How this job compares in Dallas, TX

Pay in context

At roughly $91/hr, this posting sits about 161% above the $35/hr median for welding jobs in Dallas, TX — toward the top of a $30–$43/hr middle band drawn from 48 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 98% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Dallas, TX

We're tracking 124 other active welding openings in Dallas, TX right now, from 90 different employers. 55 of them were added in the last week. Across Texas as a whole we're tracking 1,339 other active welding openings from 721 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Dallas, or widen the search to Texas.

Shield AI currently has 5 other openings live in Texas, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in Texas at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Welding Shop in Houston, TX (27), Zachry Group (22), and Austin Industries (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Texas, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Pasadena at $40/hr, Arlington at $39/hr, and Midlothian at $38/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Dallas, TX

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Manager, Engineering - Structural Design (R5633) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.