Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Hivemind powers intelligent aircraft, drones, and robotic systems that operate autonomously in the most demanding environments. Hivemind Catalyst accelerates the adoption of autonomy by enabling customers to rapidly develop, integrate, test, and deploy sovereign autonomous capabilities on their own platforms.
As a Senior Staff Technical Program Manager for Hivemind Catalyst, you will operate at the intersection of technology, strategy, business development, and execution. You will help customers define their autonomy roadmaps, shape technical solutions, drive software alignment across internal teams, and ensure successful execution of customer programs from initial engagement through delivery.
This role requires exceptional technical judgment, executive communication skills, and the ability to create structure and clarity in highly ambiguous environments. You will work directly with senior engineering leaders, business leaders, international partners, and customers to accelerate the adoption of autonomy at scale.
What you'll do:
- Lead technical program management activities for Hivemind customer programs.
- Develop technical execution plans that drive technology maturation and successful customer outcomes.
- Establish clear milestones, entry criteria, exit criteria, and measurable success metrics across programs.
- Manage program cost, schedule, scope, risk, dependencies, and resource allocation.
- Track customer spending against contractual budgets and program commitments.
- Identify risks early and drive mitigation strategies that reduce technical, schedule, and business uncertainty.
- Hold internal and external stakeholders accountable to commitments while maintaining strong customer relationships.
- Embed closely within Hivemind Enterprise teams to ensure customer needs are accurately represented in product and engineering priorities.
- Drive closed-loop communication between customers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders.
- Support software release planning, roadmap development, prioritization, and resource allocation decisions.
- Ensure technical investments align with strategic priorities, revenue opportunities, and customer outcomes.
- Advocate for the capabilities that create the greatest impact for customers and the business.
- Review and assess Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates, Statements of Work (SOWs), proposals, bids, and customer engagements across domestic and international markets.
- Develop pricing recommendations, high-level technical decompositions, project plans, and execution strategies.
- Partner with customers to define technical roadmaps that accelerate the development, deployment, and operationalization of sovereign autonomy capabilities.
- Help customers establish practical paths from prototype to production and mission-ready deployment.
- Support business development, capture, and growth initiatives through technical planning, proposal development, and customer engagement.
- Own and maintain technical execution roadmaps across internal Catalyst priorities.
- Create structure, prioritization frameworks, and execution plans for internal research and development efforts.
- Drive alignment across multiple technical roadmaps and identify interdependencies, conflicts, and resource constraints.
- Monitor program health, track progress against objectives, and facilitate data-driven decision making.
- Support organizational OKRs and key performance metrics through disciplined execution and reporting.
- Develop executive-level communications, briefings, summaries, and decision materials for internal and external stakeholders.
- Support Monthly Portfolio Reviews, Executive Steering Committees, Quarterly Business Reviews, Board Reviews, and other strategic forums.
- Communicate effectively with senior engineering, business, government, and international stakeholders.
- Drive alignment across technical, operational, financial, and strategic priorities.
- Lead and support high-impact strategic initiatives that enable company growth and global expansion.
- Partner across engineering, legal, compliance, finance, facilities, business development, and operations teams to solve complex cross-functional challenges.
- Contribute to international expansion efforts, including establishment of new offices, partnerships, and operating models.
Program Leadership and Execution
Software and Roadmap Alignment
Customer Strategy and Technical Planning
Internal Strategic Execution
Executive Communication and Stakeholder Management
Strategic Initiatives
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management within a fast-paced technology organization.
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional technical programs involving software, systems, and external stakeholders.
- Experience developing project plans, execution roadmaps, schedules, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, release planning, and technical product roadmaps.
- Experience supporting customer-facing programs, proposals, SOW development, or technical business development activities.
- Demonstrated ability to drive clarity, alignment, and execution in ambiguous environments.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level communications.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make informed decisions using incomplete information.
- Ability to work effectively across engineering, product, business development, finance, and operations organizations.
- Willingness to travel up to 25%, including domestic and international travel.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in autonomy, robotics, aerospace, defense technology, aviation, or complex software platforms.
- Experience supporting international customers, partners, or technology programs.
- Experience developing technical proposals, ROMs, pricing strategies, or capture plans.
- Familiarity with government, defense, or national security acquisition environments.
- Experience managing programs involving multiple stakeholders across technical and business domains.
- MBA, Master's degree, or advanced technical degree.
Why Shield AI:
At Shield AI, you will help define the future of autonomy. You will work alongside world-class engineers, operators, and business leaders to deliver transformational technology that enables customers to build and deploy sovereign autonomous capabilities faster than ever before.
If you thrive in ambiguity, enjoy solving complex technical and business problems, and want to play a central role in shaping the future of autonomous systems, we'd love to hear from you.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management within a fast-paced technology organization
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional technical programs involving software, systems, and external stakeholders
- Experience developing project plans, execution roadmaps, schedules, and risk mitigation strategies
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, release planning, and technical product roadmaps
- Experience supporting customer-facing programs, proposals, SOW development, or technical business development activities
- Demonstrated ability to drive clarity, alignment, and execution in ambiguous environments
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level communications
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make informed decisions using incomplete information
- Ability to work effectively across engineering, product, business development, finance, and operations organizations
- Willingness to travel up to 25%, including domestic and international travel
- Experience in autonomy, robotics, aerospace, defense technology, aviation, or complex software platforms
- Experience supporting international customers, partners, or technology programs
- Experience developing technical proposals, ROMs, pricing strategies, or capture plans
- Familiarity with government, defense, or national security acquisition environments
- MBA, Master's degree, or advanced technical degree
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
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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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
