We are seeking a Program Director to lead a team of Program Managers in the delivery and sustainment of transformative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system Direct Commercial Sales programs in the Europe and Africa markets.
What You'll Do:
· Deliver proven, exceptional, and reliable performance in support of customer/end-user’s mission through flawless execution of Program Management and team leadership.
· Shape/codify processes and procedures to effectively collaborate, motivate, and manage relevant stakeholders required to successfully deliver programs early, under budget, and with exceptional technical performance.
· Constantly drive a healthy tension between all functions to ensure a holistic approach to delivering on Shield AI’s commitments.
· Astutely balance and rebalance shifting customer priories related to cost, schedule, and technical parameters of programs.
· Guide the initiation and sustainment of DCS contracts for Shield AI’s V-BAT systems.
· Lead the identification, development, and implementation of process improvements for DCS program management processes and tools
· Provide hands-on management of projects/programs as needed while the program grows
· Oversee customer relationships and act as the key escalation point for programs, projects, and operational performance issues
· Drive efforts to attain budget, schedule, and scope requirements
· Drive the accurate and timely tracking and reporting of budget, resource, and project management standard metrics
· Complete critical path analyses including the evaluation of potential means to accelerate the pace or mitigate identified risks
· Identify potential bottlenecks or delays in programs and drive efforts to ensure projects stay on schedule
· Partner with leadership to guide prioritization of projects and utilization of resources
· Hire and supervise a team of project and program managers as needed to support Shield AI’s rapid growth in the international sector
· Develop highly effective Program Managers responsible for planning, scheduling and controlling the activities of complex projects spanning multiple organizations
· Provide the necessary leadership and support to DCS project and program managers to manage projects in line with project management processes and associated policies and procedures
· Oversee the distribution, prioritization, quality and volume of the DCS Program Management team’s work
· Establish and lead a consistent cadence of well-organized, well-facilitated, and effective meetings, including driving all preparation and follow up activities
· Support an environment where accountability and program execution excellence are core
· Foster and facilitate collaboration and shared accountability for outcomes with Leadership
· Report directly to Shield AI’s Senior Director of Program Management
Required Qualifications:
· Proven experience building, growing, and leading a program team
· Deep expertise in project and program management
· Willingness and ability to travel internationally as needed
· Ability to focus on long-term business objectives
· Ability to run advanced projects/programs consisting of multiple interrelated projects, in a manner that is largely self-directed
· Experience with scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project or Smartsheet.
· Significant experience and excellent skills with Microsoft Office Suite
· Excellent skills in leadership, time management, organization, team management
· Excellent interpersonal skills and verbal and written ability
· Expert understanding of complex project financials
· A demonstrated record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others
Preferred Qualifications:
· Experience in field of unmanned aerial vehicles
· Training, logistics, operations, and maintenance experience
· Masters Degree in Business Administration
Skills Required
- Program management experience with aerospace and defense programs
- Experience building, growing, and leading a program team
- Deep expertise in project and program management
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally as needed
- Ability to focus on long-term business objectives
- Ability to manage advanced projects and programs consisting of multiple interrelated projects in a largely self-directed manner
- Experience with scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project or Smartsheet
- Significant experience and strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
- Strong leadership, time management, organization, and team management skills
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
- Expert understanding of complex project financials
- Demonstrated high standards, trustworthiness, teamwork, and professionalism
- Experience managing dynamic aircraft demonstrations in an international environment
- Experience with unmanned aerial vehicles
- Training, logistics, operations, and maintenance experience
- Master's degree in Business Administration
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Company materials highlight comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with mental-health support and an EAP. Third-party benefits summaries also portray health coverage as a strong component of the package.
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Retirement Support — Offerings include a 401(k) with employer matching, cited on the careers page and independent benefits directories. Multiple sources indicate a match exists, though exact formulas have varied over time and warrant confirmation.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Company communications describe equity for all full-time hires and stock benefits as part of total rewards. Independent listings also note company equity/RSUs as a standard element.
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.
