Business Development Manager
Shield AI is a U.S. defense-technology company developing mission-autonomy software and autonomous aircraft for military and allied operations.
Funding history
Investors
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI builds Hivemind autonomy software and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft for operations in contested, GPS- and communications-denied environments. Its current site also presents Aechelon synthetic-reality simulation and Vision Systems detection and tracking products.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will lead the business development lifecycle for X-BAT initiatives, from identifying and shaping opportunities through proposals, negotiations, and contract awards. You will build relationships with defence stakeholders, influence requirements and air-domain concepts of operations, lead demonstrations, coordinate technical delivery needs, and provide field intelligence for product direction.
Requirements
- 15+ years in a relevant air force occupation
- 8–10+ years of experience in defence acquisition, business development, sales, or strategy
- Track record of capturing and closing defence programs or technology insertions with European ministries of defence or multinational frameworks
- Understanding of next-generation air combat trends, including CCAs, MUM-T, and AI-enabled concepts of operations
- Ability to represent technically complex products to strategic and operational audiences
- Familiarity with European defence programs and regional acquisition pathways
- Willingness to travel extensively across Europe
Responsibilities
- Identify, shape, and capture high-value European next-generation airpower opportunities
- Lead the X-BAT business development lifecycle from customer engagement through contract award
- Build and maintain relationships with Ministries of Defence, defence primes, integrators, and NATO-related bodies
- Influence customer requirements and future CCA concepts of operations
- Lead positioning and participation in flight demonstrations, technical trials, and program pilots
- Coordinate with engineering, product, legal, and program teams
- Provide field intelligence to guide feature development, integration strategy, and roadmap priorities