Come join a fast-growing team in a dynamic region to shape stories on the cutting-edge technologies that underlie Shield AI’s mission – to protect service members and civilians through intelligent systems and sovereign autonomy. In this role, you will be responsible for driving media relations and communications initiatives for Shield AI in the Middle East, elevating the brand in top-tier media and amplifying its credentials as a trusted, leading defense technology company.
By partnering closely with global communications, government relations and cross-functional teams in Asia and the Middle East, you will support strategic business initiatives and develop narratives around consequential and forward-looking technologies that are changing the defense landscape today.
What You'll Do
- Own and grow Shield AI’s earned media footprint across the Middle East, building relationships with defense, technology and business journalists covering the region.
- Develop and execute proactive media strategies tied to product milestones, contract announcements, strategic partnerships and at major defense exhibitions and events.
- Serve as a regional point of contact for media inquiries, managing sensitive or reactive communications.
- Prepare executives and spokespeople for media interviews and other earned speaking engagements; run press logistics and on-site media management.
- Monitor news, industry trends and competitive intelligence.
- Develop regional content – including writing and editing press releases, bylines, talking points, speeches, executive briefing content – that articulates Shield AI’s technology and mission in a tangible and coherent manner to Middle East audiences.
- Localize and adapt global Shield AI narratives for regional context, cultural nuance and stakeholder priorities, while strengthening the core brand message.
- Shape and protect Shield AI’s narrative and reputation as a credible, consistent and trustworthy long-term defense technology partners.
- Build a consistent drumbeat of visibility that reinforces Shield AI’s commitment to the region.
- Anticipate and help manage narrative risk including geopolitical sensitivities and regional perceptions of foreign defense technology providers.
Earned Media & Press Strategy
Content development and Storytelling
Narrative & Positioning
Required Qualifications:
- 8+ years of communications experience, with time spent in defense, aerospace, government, technology sectors. Mix of in-house and agency experience welcome.
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, political science, international relations or similar fields.
- Native Arabic-speaker with fluent English, with exceptional written and verbal storytelling skills and a keen eye for detail. Additional languages a plus.
- Familiarity with developing content and messaging, media relations, executive communications and issues management. Able to simplify complex concepts for non-technical and technical audiences alike.
- Proven track record with securing earned media coverage in Middle East markets, with a strong focus on the UAE, KSA, Qatar as priority markets.
- Deep understanding of the GCC defense and government landscape, including key stakeholders and cultural / political sensitivities.
- Strong critical thinking and analytical skills; able to identify opportunities for brand enhancement while also assessing gaps and possible risks.
- Experience working across cross-cultural teams and managing stakeholders.
- Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy and to manage projects, deadlines and deliverables in a fast-paced environment.
- Interest in AI, autonomy and defense technology.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of communications experience, including experience in defense, aerospace, government, or technology sectors
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, political science, international relations, or a related field
- Native Arabic speaker with fluent English
- Exceptional written and verbal storytelling skills
- Experience developing content and messaging, media relations, executive communications, and issues management
- Proven success securing earned media coverage in Middle East markets, especially the UAE, KSA, and Qatar
- Deep understanding of the GCC defense and government landscape, including cultural and political sensitivities
- Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
- Experience working across cross-cultural teams and managing stakeholders
- Ability to work autonomously and manage projects, deadlines, and deliverables in a fast-paced environment
- Interest in AI, autonomy, and defense technology
- Additional languages
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as excellent, with dental/vision and mental‑health support, and ancillary protections like life and disability appearing in benefit summaries. The breadth and perceived affordability of coverage are highlighted as a standout component of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is featured alongside enhanced maternity benefits, fertility and childcare support, and onsite resources such as a Mother’s Room. These elements are positioned as competitive and above the minimal baseline for the company’s stage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full‑time hires, with RSUs, double‑trigger tax timing, and tools to model scenarios (e.g., through Carta Tax). Communications also reference a transition from options to RSUs, reinforcing access and maturity of ownership programs.
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.
