Shield AI is seeking a Chief of Staff to support the Vice President of Middle East & APJ. This role serves as a force multiplier for regional leadership, driving operational excellence, strategic execution, and commercial growth initiatives across the region. The position sits at the intersection of business operations, commercial strategy, and executive leadership, ensuring alignment across business development, programs, finance, and corporate functions.
The Chief of Staff will lead regional operating rhythms, drive strategic initiatives, support capture and growth activities, and provide data-driven insights that enable leadership to make informed decisions in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
What You'll Do:
Partner directly with regional leadership to translate strategic priorities into executable plans and measurable outcomes.
Drive execution of key regional initiatives, ensuring alignment across business development, programs, finance, legal, and operations teams.
Lead regional business reviews, operating cadences, and executive reporting to provide visibility into performance, risks, and opportunities.
Manage special projects on behalf of regional leadership, including market expansion, organizational scaling, and operational transformation initiatives.
Support regional growth objectives through pipeline management, forecasting, capture planning, and opportunity prioritization.
Maintain executive visibility of business development activities, key pursuits, customer engagements, and strategic partnerships.
Partner with business development teams to develop and maintain capture plans for priority opportunities across the region.
Provide market intelligence, competitive analysis, and customer insights to support business development and strategic decision-making.
Coordinate cross-functional resources to support major pursuits, bids, demonstrations, and customer engagements.
Support regional financial planning, resource allocation, and operational performance management.
Develop and maintain business performance dashboards, KPIs, and leadership reporting to drive accountability and informed decision-making.
Identify operational inefficiencies and implement scalable processes that improve execution and organizational effectiveness.
Facilitate communication and alignment between regional teams and corporate functions to ensure seamless execution of business priorities.
Act as a trusted advisor to regional leadership, providing analytical support, recommendations, and decision-making frameworks.
Prepare executive presentations, business cases, and strategic communications for internal and external stakeholders.
Represent leadership in cross-functional meetings and initiatives as required.
Support customer, partner, and industry engagements across the Middle East and APJ regions.
Strategic Leadership & Execution
Commercial Operations & Growth
Business Operations
Executive & Regional Leadership Support
Required Qualifications:
5+ years of experience in strategy, business operations, consulting, commercial operations, chief of staff, or related leadership roles.
Demonstrated ability to drive complex cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
Strong commercial acumen with experience supporting business development, pipeline management, forecasting, or growth initiatives.
Exceptional analytical, communication, and executive presentation skills.
Experience developing executive-level reporting, performance metrics, and strategic recommendations.
Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable operating in dynamic, ambiguous environments.
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in defense, aerospace, autonomous systems, or high-growth technology environments.
Familiarity with government sales, capture management, and international business development.
Experience supporting senior executives or serving in a Chief of Staff capacity.
MBA or advanced degree in business, engineering, international relations, or related field.
Demonstrated record of leadership, entrepreneurial achievement, or operational transformation.
In region experience in the Middle East and/or Asia Pacific
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in strategy, business operations, consulting, commercial operations, chief of staff, or related leadership roles.
- Demonstrated ability to drive complex cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
- Strong commercial acumen with experience supporting business development, pipeline management, forecasting, or growth initiatives.
- Exceptional analytical, communication, and executive presentation skills.
- Experience developing executive-level reporting, performance metrics, and strategic recommendations.
- Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable operating in dynamic, ambiguous environments.
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.
- Experience in defense, aerospace, autonomous systems, or high-growth technology environments.
- Familiarity with government sales, capture management, and international business development.
- Experience supporting senior executives or serving in a Chief of Staff capacity.
- MBA or advanced degree in business, engineering, international relations, or related field.
- Demonstrated record of leadership, entrepreneurial achievement, or operational transformation.
- In-region experience in the Middle East and/or Asia Pacific.
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials describe excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage alongside a mental‑health EAP. Site perks such as an onsite gym in DC and a gym discount in San Diego support a health‑focused offering.
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Retirement Support — Careers materials highlight a 401(k) with company match as part of the standard package. A Total Rewards overview emphasizes retirement features within a broader, transparent compensation view.
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Career-Linked Recognition & Rewards — Compensation for in‑demand technical and senior go‑to‑market roles is described as competitive, with visible engineering ranges and top‑end packages. This points to meaningful upside tied to role, level, and scarce skills.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.
Why Work With Us
What makes Shield AI special is our people. We unlock the power of autonomy, and in the face of overwhelming odds and challenges, we find ways to win and make a difference for our customers. We bring together software, AI, and aerospace engineering disciplines to deploy the most intelligent aviation capabilities in the world.
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Shield AI Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
