Shield AI is a venture-backed defence technology company building the world’s best AI pilot and next-generation autonomous aircraft. Founded in 2015, Shield AI’s mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. With a recent valuation of approximately $12.7B, Shield AI develops autonomy software, unmanned aircraft systems, and AI-enabled ISR capabilities that actively support defence and security operations worldwide.
Shield AI works side-by-side with military and government customers to solve complex operational challenges in some of the world’s most demanding environments. The company’s products, including V-BAT, X-BAT, Hivemind autonomy software, and advanced mission systems are designed to deliver operational advantage while reducing risk to human operators.
Shield AI believes the greatest victory requires no war.
The Head of Business Development, Japan serves as Shield AI’s senior District leader, responsible for driving integrated District strategy, sales growth, and program sales execution across multiple priority markets. This role ensures successful and compliant execution of active deal programs, aligns cross-functional teams across countries, and serves as the primary interface with senior government, military, and industry stakeholders at both national and District levels.
This position holds accountability for District pipeline growth and development, order intake, and long-term market expansion while driving alignment and execution across Country Business Development Leads throughout the District. As such, this person will retain a sales quota for their district comprised of territory manager quotas within that district as well as their own individual quota. Through strategic oversight and coordinated execution across markets, the Head of Business Development strengthens customer trust, scales operational impact, and accelerates the sustained growth of Shield AI’s District presence. Additionally, this person will carry a sales quota for their assigned district.
What you'll do:
- Serve as Shield AI’s senior District representative across Japan, engaging senior military, government, and industry stakeholders while ensuring operational and regulatory compliance across activities in the district.
- Develop and execute a unified District strategy aligned with priorities in Japan, integrating country-level efforts into coordinated campaigns and bilateral frameworks.
- Own district quota and sales performance, including pipeline development, forecast accuracy, order intake, and opportunity execution from shaping through close.
- Provide strategic direction and coordination for Country Business Development Leads across the District, setting priorities, driving execution discipline, and aligning stakeholder engagement and market strategy.
- District business growth across Shield AI’s product portfolio, including V-BAT, X-BAT, ViDAR and Hivemind, ensuring alignment with product and regional leadership priorities.
- Oversee cross-functional coordination across Business Development, Government Relations, Program Management, Legal, Contracts, PX, Marketing and Customer Operations to support successful capture, execution, and customer outcomes.
- Ensure successful execution of active district opportunities, maintaining accountability for performance, timelines, customer satisfaction, and long-term strategic growth.
- Build and maintain a disciplined, data-driven district pipeline and stakeholder engagement strategy to support sustained growth and follow-on business opportunities.
- Develop and manage district partnerships, resellers, and strategic industry relationships to expand market access and accelerate operational execution.
- Identify and mitigate political, procurement, operational, and strategic risks across the district while providing executive visibility into performance, risks, and growth outlook.
Required qualifications:
- Typically requires 10+ years of experience in defence, military operations, business development, capture management, or international government relations.
- Deep technical and operational understanding of Shield AI systems and technologies, including V-BAT, Hivemind, and X-BAT, with knowledge of operational employment concepts, payload integration, training, sustainment, and deployed operations.
- Proven experience operating across multiple international markets within defence, aerospace, or national security environments, including navigating complex government procurement and stakeholder ecosystems.
- Demonstrated ability to lead distributed, cross-functional teams and align senior stakeholders across multiple countries, cultures, and operational environments.
- Strong executive presence with experience engaging senior military leadership, Ministries of Defence, U.S. Embassies/ODCs, stakeholders, and strategic industry partners in high-visibility environments.
- Proven track record of driving pipeline development, capture strategy, and successful closure of complex, high-value defence opportunities.
- English and Japanese language proficiency relevant to the assigned district.
- Bachelor degree or relevant military education preferred.
Preferred qualifications:
- Prior district leadership experience across allied defence markets, including Japan, or other international government environments.
- Existing relationships with the Ministry of Defence, senior military leadership, defence procurement organizations, and strategic industry stakeholders.
- Experience leading international defence captures, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), or multinational procurement programs.
- Operational understanding of ISR, autonomy, unmanned systems, AI-enabled capabilities, and modern defence technology employment concepts.
- Experience managing district consultants, resellers, strategic partnerships, or industrial participation/offset initiatives.
- Familiarity with Japanese operational frameworks, allied capability development, and district defence modernization priorities.
- Demonstrated success operating in high-growth, fast-paced, and internationally distributed environments.
- Ability to attain or existing relevant national security clearance.
- Master’s degree in a relevant field.
Why join Shield AI:
- Help build the defining defence technology company of this century.
- Work at the forefront of AI, autonomy, and next-generation defence systems.
- Operate in a highly entrepreneurial and mission-driven environment.
- Make a direct impact on international growth and strategic defence partnerships.
- Collaborate with exceptional teams solving some of the world’s most complex operational challenges.
Skills Required
- 6+ years of experience in business development, capture, sales, strategic engagement, account management, or related customer-facing roles within defence, aerospace, national security, or advanced technology environments
- Experience operating across international defence, government, or regulated markets, navigating complex stakeholder and procurement environments
- Demonstrated success identifying, shaping, and advancing complex opportunities with long sales cycles and senior stakeholders
- Strong executive presence and ability to build credibility with military, government, industry, and strategic partner stakeholders
- Technical aptitude and operational understanding of autonomous systems, ISR, mission systems, or AI-enabled defence technologies
- Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout the territory and internationally
- Based within the region, or willing to relocate to a strategic location within the assigned territory
- Fluency in English and Japanese
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional, military, or operational experience
- Experience with UAS, autonomy, ISR, mission systems, aerospace, or AI-enabled operational capabilities
- Existing relationships across defence ministries, military organizations, procurement authorities, or strategic industry partners in the territory
- Experience supporting direct commercial sales, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), or international government procurement programs
- Prior military, operational defence, government, or national security experience
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage includes medical, dental, vision, and mental-health support, with company materials describing excellent coverage. Feedback suggests these offerings are comprehensive and consistently highlighted across official and third-party benefit lists.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full-time hires, with RSU structures and tools like Carta Tax intended to improve understanding and tax timing. Feedback suggests this broad-based ownership approach is a notable component of total rewards.
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Parental & Family Support — Benefits include paid parental leave, fertility support, childcare benefits, family medical leave, and onsite resources such as a Mother's Room. Feedback suggests the family-oriented offerings are more expansive than basic coverage.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Shield AI Teams
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
