Shield is scaling fast, and our internal systems, security posture, and ways of working are changing with it. We're looking for a hands-on change management lead to build our OCM function from the ground up for IT, Enterprise Operations, and Cybersecurity. This person is not a generic change practitioner. They understand the technology well enough to earn credibility with engineers, anticipate where a rollout will break, and translate technical change into something every employee can act on.
What you'll do:
- Build Shield's OCM program for technical functions: frameworks, templates, playbooks, intake process, and success metrics.
- Own change strategy and execution for major initiatives, such as identity and access changes, endpoint and device management, security controls and compliance requirements (e.g., CMMC/NIST 800-171), ERP and business system rollouts, collaboration tool migrations, and new IT service models.
- Partner with IT, EntOps, and Cyber leaders early in project planning to assess impact, readiness, and risk, rather than joining at launch.
- Run stakeholder analysis and change impact assessments across engineering, manufacturing, flight ops, and corporate teams.
- Create communications, training, and enablement: announcements, FAQs, how-to guides, short videos, office hours, and change champion networks.
- Measure adoption with real data (ticket volume, usage telemetry, compliance rates, surveys) and adjust course.
- Coordinate release and change calendars so employees don't get hit with five disruptions in one week.
- Act as the voice of the end user in technical decisions, and push back when a rollout plan isn't ready for humans.
Required qualifications:
- 8+ years in organizational change management, with at least 3 years supporting IT, security, or enterprise technology programs.
- Real technical fluency. You can hold your own in conversations about SSO/MFA, identity providers (Okta, Entra ID), MDM (Intune, Jamf), ITSM (ServiceNow, Jira Service Management), SaaS migrations, and security controls. You don't need to configure them, but you need to understand them.
- A track record of building a change function or program, not just executing someone else's.
- Strong writing skills. You can turn a dense technical spec into a clear two-paragraph announcement.
- Comfort operating with ambiguity in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.
- Familiarity with a change methodology (Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter, or similar), applied pragmatically rather than dogmatically.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or other regulated environments (CMMC, ITAR, FedRAMP, NIST).
- Prosci or CCMP certification.
- Background in IT project management, service delivery, or technical training.
- Experience supporting security awareness or compliance programs.
How we measure success in year one:
- An OCM framework and intake process adopted by IT, EntOps, and Cyber.
- Measurable adoption and reduced support tickets on major rollouts.
- Leaders across these functions pulling you in by default at project kickoff.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of organizational change management experience
- At least 3 years supporting IT, security, or enterprise technology programs
- Technical fluency with SSO/MFA, identity providers such as Okta and Entra ID, MDM tools such as Intune and Jamf, ITSM platforms such as ServiceNow and Jira Service Management, SaaS migrations, and security controls
- Experience building a change function or program
- Strong technical writing and communication skills
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity within a fast-moving, high-growth environment
- Familiarity with Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter, or a similar change methodology
- Experience in defense, aerospace, or another regulated environment, including CMMC, ITAR, FedRAMP, or NIST
- Prosci or CCMP certification
- Background in IT project management, service delivery, or technical training
- Experience supporting security awareness or compliance programs
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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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
