Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company dedicated to protecting service members and civilians through intelligent systems. Its offerings include Hivemind autonomy software, as well as V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. With offices and facilities across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit https://shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

**Job Description:**
Shield AI is looking for an exceptional Program Director to lead the development, production, integration, and operational deployment of next-generation weapon systems. This is a senior leadership role responsible for delivering complex defense programs from initial concept through fielding, ensuring successful execution across engineering, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, testing, customer engagement, and business growth.

The Program Director will provide strategic and day-to-day leadership across a portfolio of weapon system programs, ensuring alignment between technical execution, customer needs, financial performance, and long-term business goals. The role requires close collaboration with distributed teams across engineering, manufacturing, operations, and government stakeholders to deliver mission-ready capabilities at scale.

The ideal candidate combines strong program leadership experience with a deep understanding of defense acquisition, weapons development, production operations, and customer engagement. You will be responsible for driving schedule, cost, technical performance, production readiness, operational results, and customer satisfaction, while helping shape the future of autonomous and intelligent defense systems.

**What you’ll do:**
– **Lead Weapons Programs:** Serve as the senior program leader for successful development, production, integration, testing, and deployment programs from concept through operational fielding.
– **Drive Cross-Functional Execution:** Lead and coordinate work across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, operations, flight test, business development, and customer organizations to achieve program goals.
– **Establish Strategic Program Objectives:** Partner with executive leaders, customers, engineering leadership, product management, and operations teams to set objectives that support mission success, customer outcomes, strategic growth, financial results, and technical excellence.
– **Program & Portfolio Management:** Own and execute integrated program plans, including scope, schedules, milestones, budgets, resource allocation, staffing, risk management, and customer deliverables, while balancing priorities and constraints across multiple programs.
– **Customer & Stakeholder Leadership:** Act as the main point of contact for customers, government stakeholders, and strategic partners—building trusted relationships, managing expectations, sharing program status, and ensuring delivery of contractual commitments.
– **Production & Deployment Readiness:** Lead readiness efforts supporting manufacturing, qualification, integration, testing, and operational deployment; close technical, operational, and production dependencies required to meet delivery and fielding objectives.
– **Drive Program Performance:** Identify critical-path risks, execution bottlenecks, resource conflicts, and cost pressures; develop and execute mitigation plans to maintain performance across schedule, budget, quality, and technical objectives. Lead major reviews including program reviews, executive reviews, customer reviews, Gate Reviews, Program Management Reviews (PMRs), Integrated Product Team (IPT) reviews, and Estimates at Completion (EACs).
– **Enable High-Quality Decision Making:** Support timely, effective technical, operational, and business decisions across cross-functional teams; use technical knowledge to identify risks, challenge assumptions, assess tradeoffs, and drive program alignment.
– **Communicate with Excellence:** Maintain a disciplined operating cadence that provides clear visibility into program status, financial performance, risks, customer commitments, production readiness, and strategic priorities—keeping stakeholders aligned at all levels.
– **Drive Operational Excellence:** Support continuous improvement initiatives that enhance execution efficiency, scalability, quality, and predictability across development, production, and deployment.
– **Deliver Business Outcomes:** Own program financial performance, resource planning, revenue forecasts, margin targets, contract execution, and customer deliverables—meeting operational and financial objectives while maintaining high technical standards.
– **Support Growth & Strategic Initiatives:** Support capture activities, proposals, RFIs, RFPs, strategic partnerships, customer engagement, and business development to expand Shield AI’s weapons portfolio and market position.

**Required qualifications:**
– Typically requires at least 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 10 years with a Master’s degree; or equivalent experience.
– Experience leading complex defense, aerospace, weapons, or advanced technology programs from development through production and operational deployment.
– Proven success managing large cross-functional teams and delivering programs within scope, schedule, budget, risk, and technical performance requirements.
– Strong understanding of defense acquisition, systems development, manufacturing, testing, and operational fielding.
– Experience managing program financials, contract execution, resource planning, and customer relationships.
– Experience leading Program Management Reviews (PMRs), Integrated Product Team (IPT) reviews, executive reviews, and Estimates at Completion (EACs).
– Exceptional communication, leadership, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
– Strong analytical and strategic planning abilities, with the capability to perform in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
– Demonstrated ownership and accountability, and the ability to drive execution through influence and leadership.

**Preferred qualifications:**
– Experience leading weapon system, missile, loitering munition, UAS, or autonomous system programs.
– Experience supporting programs for DoD, SOCOM, service laboratories, or defense prime contractors.
– Experience transitioning programs from development into production and sustainment.
– Familiarity with defense contracting, FAR/DFARS requirements, acquisition processes, and government program execution.
– PMP certification or equivalent program management credentials.
– Experience managing classified programs and customer engagements.
– Experience balancing aggressive schedules, technical innovation, and production scalability.
– Active Secret clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret clearance.

**Compensation and employment details:**
Salary range: $210,000–$310,000 per year. #LI-ED1. #LF.
Full-time regular employees receive a total offer including pay within the stated range plus bonus, benefits, and equity. Temporary employees receive pay within the stated range plus a temporary benefits package after 60 days of employment.

Salary is determined by multiple factors, including skills, experience level, licenses and certifications, and work location. Offers depend on a cleared background and may include reference checks. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Contact your talent acquisition representative for more details.

Shield AI is an equal opportunity employer and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry