The Senior Program Manager, International Programs will lead the execution and growth of Shield AI's international Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) programs, with significant regional responsibility within a portfolio spanning the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. This role serves as the primary interface between international government and military customers, industrial partners, business development, contracts, engineering, production, operations, and executive leadership to deliver mission-critical V-BAT capabilities and build enduring international partnerships.
The candidate will bring a proven track record leading complex, customer-facing defense programs from capture through execution, with the judgment to navigate demanding contractual, export-control, and cultural environments. They will operate comfortably in high-visibility situations, mentor and back up in-country program managers, and keep senior leadership informed with clear, candid reporting. Based at our Frisco, TX headquarters alongside the V-BAT engineering and production teams, this individual will travel internationally on a regular basis to be present with customers and partners when it matters most. As the international business grows, there may be future opportunities for an in-country assignment for candidates who are interested; this is not a condition of employment.
What you'll do:
- Deliver proven, exceptional, and reliable performance for international customers through flawless program management and leadership
- Lead execution of multiple concurrent international DCS programs, owning cost, schedule, technical performance, and customer satisfaction
- Develop and maintain trusted relationships with international government, military, and industry stakeholders. Serve as the primary customer-facing lead for assigned programs, including regular in-person engagement in-country
- Lead and support international industrial partnerships, including in-country production, assembly, sustainment, and technology-transfer initiatives
- Manage complex international contracts, working closely with Contracts, Legal, and Finance to resolve contractual issues, manage changes, protect Shield AI's interests, and drive milestone and payment achievement
- Partner with Trade Compliance to plan and execute programs within U.S. export-control requirements (ITAR/EAR), including TAAs, MLAs, and export licenses
- Provide oversight, mentorship, and escalation support to in-country and junior program managers
- Translate evolving customer requirements into executable plans across engineering, production, supply chain, logistics, training, and sustainment teams
- Complete critical path analyses, including evaluation of potential means to accelerate the pace or mitigate identified risks
- ·Astutely balance and rebalance shifting customer priorities related to cost, schedule, and technical parameters of programs
- Establish and maintain accurate program schedules, financial forecasts, staffing plans, and risk and opportunity registers
- Drive accurate and timely tracking and reporting of budget, resource utilization, contract performance, revenue, and program management metrics
- Prepare and deliver clear, concise program reviews and status updates for executive leadership and customer senior stakeholders
- Support business development and capture teams on regional pursuits, including proposal pricing, basis of estimate, execution planning, and the transition from award to execution
- Establish and lead a consistent cadence of well-organized, well-facilitated, and effective meetings across time zones, including driving all preparation and follow-up activities
- Support an environment where accountability and program execution excellence are core
Required qualifications:
- 8+ years of program management experience supporting defense or aerospace programs
- Demonstrated experience managing international defense programs for foreign government or military customers (DCS, FMS, or hybrid)
- Demonstrated successful experience running advanced programs consisting of multiple interrelated projects, in a self-directed manner
- Proven experience managing customer-facing programs with full responsibility for cost, schedule, and performance
- Experience managing complex contracts, including contract changes, disputes, and milestone/payment-based structures
- Working knowledge of U.S. export-control regulations (ITAR/EAR) and their impact on program execution
- Experience leading cross-functional teams across engineering, production, supply chain, logistics, and business functions
- Strong business and financial acumen with experience managing complex program financials
- Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills, including executive-level briefing
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across cultures and time zones
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and programs in a fast-paced environment
- Experience with scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project or Smartsheet
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a frequent basis, including extended trips
- Demonstrated alignment with Shield AI's values and leadership principles, including accountability, trust, collaboration, and servant leadership
- Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience working with international customers or industrial partners in the Middle East, South Asia, or Asia-Pacific
- Experience supporting international industrial partnerships, co-production, offsets/industrial participation, or in-country manufacturing stand-up
- Experience supporting unmanned aerial systems, aviation operations, ISR programs, or defense technology programs
- Experience managing or mentoring program managers
- PMP certification or equivalent program management training
- Undergraduate degree in engineering, business, or operations management
#LE
Skills Required
- 8+ years of program management experience supporting defense or aerospace programs
- Experience managing international defense programs for foreign government or military customers, including DCS, FMS, or hybrid programs
- Experience running advanced programs consisting of multiple interrelated projects independently
- Experience managing customer-facing programs with responsibility for cost, schedule, and performance
- Experience managing complex contracts, contract changes, disputes, and milestone or payment-based structures
- Working knowledge of U.S. export-control regulations, including ITAR and EAR
- Experience leading cross-functional teams across engineering, production, supply chain, logistics, and business functions
- Strong business and financial acumen with experience managing complex program financials
- Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, stakeholder-management, and executive-briefing skills
- Ability to work effectively across cultures and time zones
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and programs in a fast-paced environment
- Experience with scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project or Smartsheet
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally frequently, including extended trips
- Alignment with Shield AI values and leadership principles
- Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR
- Experience with international customers or industrial partners in the Middle East, South Asia, or Asia-Pacific
- Experience with industrial partnerships, co-production, offsets, industrial participation, or in-country manufacturing stand-up
- Experience supporting unmanned aerial systems, aviation operations, ISR programs, or defense technology programs
- Experience managing or mentoring program managers
- PMP certification or equivalent program management training
- Undergraduate degree in engineering, business, or operations management
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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