The posting, in Shield AI's own words
archived Oct 22, 2026Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
What you'll do:
Serve as the technical lead supporting pre-sales engagements for a new advanced aircraft platform targeting high-end tactical missions. Collaborate with senior leaders across Business Development, Engineering, and Product Management to influence product definition, capability prioritization, and solution alignment with customer operational concepts. Support technical capture for domestic and international opportunities in early acquisition phases (e.g., AOAs, RFIs, Requirement Drafts, white papers, unsolicited proposals). Shape and translate customer needs into actionable system requirements, roadmaps, and program strategies. Develop compelling technical narratives and lead content development for briefings, RFIs, white papers, and proposal volumes. Build and maintain trusted relationships with customer technical stakeholders (including U.S. DoD program offices and foreign governments). Contribute to internal investment decisions by assessing market signals, competitor activity, and technical feasibility. Represent the broader Shield AI solution suite (including autonomy, AI pilots, ISR systems, and mission software) across the pre-sales lifecycle.
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Required qualifications:
5+ years in technical sales, capture, or engineering roles in defense or aerospace industries, with significant experience interfacing with U.S. DoD and/or international ministries of defense. Demonstrated experience supporting government sales in pre-prototype or pre-solicitation phases. Demonstrated excellence in presentation skills, organization of technical ideas, and narrative building for a variety of stakeholders at leadership levels with direct customers. Experience with programs involving tactical aircraft, fighter jets, or group 5 UAS. Proven success contributing to deals valued over $15M. Strong systems-level understanding of aircraft design tradeoffs, customer CONOPS, and mission-based engineering. Bachelor’s degree in engineering, applied science, or equivalent technical discipline. Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to clearly translate technical information into compelling sales narratives for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Ability to manage ambiguity, balance competing priorities, and operate independently in a fast-paced startup environment. Active U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one.