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Senior Staff Technical Program Manager (R5619)

Shield AI

Washington / DC / USA

Onsite

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About this role

Shield 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.

Job Description:

We are looking for an exceptional Technical Program Manager to guide and manage our next-generation autonomous aircraft conceptual design and tradespace analysis effort. You will be responsible for setting objectives based on customer provide use cases, developing metrics for reporting cost vs. performance trades, planning and managing the effort schedule and cost, and development and delivery of strategic products to customers. This role requires a versatile individual who can understand the aviation autonomy market, understand warfighter needs, and make difficult and informed decisions regarding system design, mission utility, and cost trades.

The ideal candidate will maintain ownership over the effort execution, proactively engage and align stakeholders, demonstrate exceptional levels of communication, and ensure on-time and on-target delivery of product to customers.

Required qualifications:

Bachelor’s or Master's Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in technical program management or managing studies or projects.
Defense, national security, or aerospace domain familiarity through employment or education.
Proven track record of leading and facilitating cross-functional teams.
Self-starter with a proven track record of forging clarity and structure in the face of ambiguous or dynamic constraints.
World-class analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly synthesize disparate viewpoints to deliver well-informed, data-backed decisions.
Relentless learner who can develop specialized knowledge in niche domains.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Active Secret clearance and eligibility for Top Secret.

Experiencing owning and driving technical projects that balance engineering development realities against the speed of business growth.
Experience translating technical information and customer needs into comprehensible product narratives.
Experience conducting product, technology, and market discovery with subject matter experts.
Active Top Secret clearance and eligibility for SCI.

Additional Information

#LI-AD6

#LE

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Compensation

$180,000 - $270,000 a year

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Job Details

Company: Shield AI
Location: Washington / DC / USA
Work Type: Onsite
Posted: March 23, 2026
Source freshness: Seen on employer source 11h ago

About Shield AI

Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Their Hivemind AI powers autonomous aircraft for defense applications, enabling drones to fly missions in GPS-denied environments without communications.

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