Head of Business Development, Middle East (R5057)

Shield AI

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Full Time

Director

Field

1 weeks ago

Business developmentCapture managementGovernment relationsPipeline managementDefense technologyV BAT

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Business developmentCapture managementGovernment relations

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About the Role

Shield AI is seeking a Head of Business Development for the Middle East to drive district strategy, sales growth, and program execution across multiple markets.

Key Skills for This Role

Business developmentCapture managementGovernment relationsPipeline managementDefense technologyV BAT

Responsibilities

Serve as Shield AI’s senior District representative across the Middle East, engaging senior military, government, and industry stakeholders.
Develop and execute a unified District strategy aligned with priorities in Middle East integrating country level efforts.
Own district quota and sales performance, including pipeline development, forecast accuracy, order intake, and opportunity execution.
Provide strategic direction and coordination for Country Business Development Leads across the District.
Drive District business growth across Shield AI’s product portfolio, including V BAT, X BAT, ViDAR and Hivemind.
Oversee cross functional coordination across Business Development, Government Relations, Program Management, Legal, Contracts, PX, Marketing and Customer Operations.
Ensure successful execution of active district opportunities, maintaining accountability for performance, timelines, customer satisfaction.
Build and maintain a disciplined, data driven district pipeline and stakeholder engagement strategy.
Develop and manage district partnerships, resellers, and strategic industry relationships to expand market access.
Identify and mitigate political, procurement, operational, and strategic risks across the district.

Requirements

Typically requires 10+ years of experience in defence, military operations, business development, capture management, or international government relations.
Deep technical and operational understanding of Shield AI systems and technologies, including V BAT, Hivemind, and X BAT.
Proven experience operating across multiple international markets within defence, aerospace, or national security environments.
Demonstrated ability to lead distributed, cross functional teams and align senior stakeholders across multiple countries.
Strong executive presence with experience engaging senior military leadership, Ministries of Defence, U.S. Embassies/ODCs, CENTCOM/GCC stakeholders.
Proven track record of driving pipeline development, capture strategy, and successful closure of complex, high value defence opportunities.
Arabic and English language proficiency relevant to the assigned district.
Bachelor degree or relevant military education preferred.

Full Job Posting

About Shield AI

Shield AI is a venture backed defence technology company building the world’s best AI pilot and next generation autonomous aircraft.
Founded in 2015, Shield AI’s mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
With a recent valuation of approximately $12.7B, Shield AI develops autonomy software, unmanned aircraft systems, and AI enabled ISR capabilities.

What you'll do

Serve as Shield AI’s senior District representative across the Middle East, engaging senior military, government, and industry stakeholders while ensuring operational and regulatory compliance.
Develop and execute a unified District strategy aligned with priorities in Middle East integrating country level efforts into coordinated campaigns across CENTCOM, the GCC (excluding Saudi Arabia), and bilateral frameworks.
Own district quota and sales performance, including pipeline development, forecast accuracy, order intake, and opportunity execution from shaping through close.
Provide strategic direction and coordination for Country Business Development Leads across the District, setting priorities, driving execution discipline, and aligning stakeholder engagement and market strategy.
Drive District business growth across Shield AI’s product portfolio, including V BAT, X BAT, ViDAR and Hivemind, ensuring alignment with product and regional leadership priorities.
Oversee cross functional coordination across Business Development, Government Relations, Program Management, Legal, Contracts, PX, Marketing and Customer Operations to support successful capture, execution, and customer outcomes.
Ensure successful execution of active district opportunities, maintaining accountability for performance, timelines, customer satisfaction, and long term strategic growth.
Build and maintain a disciplined, data driven district pipeline and stakeholder engagement strategy to support sustained growth and follow on business opportunities.
Develop and manage district partnerships, resellers, and strategic industry relationships to expand market access and accelerate operational execution.
Identify and mitigate political, procurement, operational, and strategic risks across the district while providing executive visibility into performance, risks, and growth outlook.

Required qualifications

Typically requires 10+ years of experience in defence, military operations, business development, capture management, or international government relations.
Deep technical and operational understanding of Shield AI systems and technologies, including V BAT, Hivemind, and X BAT, with knowledge of operational employment concepts, payload integration, training, sustainment, and deployed operations.
Proven experience operating across multiple international markets within defence, aerospace, or national security environments, including navigating complex government procurement and stakeholder ecosystems.
Demonstrated ability to lead distributed, cross functional teams and align senior stakeholders across multiple countries, cultures, and operational environments.
Strong executive presence with experience engaging senior military leadership, Ministries of Defence, U.S. Embassies/ODCs, CENTCOM/GCC stakeholders, and strategic industry partners in high visibility environments.
Proven track record of driving pipeline development, capture strategy, and successful closure of complex, high value defence opportunities.
Arabic and English language proficiency relevant to the assigned district.
Bachelor degree or relevant military education preferred.

Why join Shield AI

Help build the defining defence technology company of this century.
Work at the forefront of AI, autonomy, and next generation defence systems.
Operate in a highly entrepreneurial and mission driven environment.
Make a direct impact on international growth and strategic defence partnerships.
Collaborate with exceptional teams solving some of the world’s most complex operational challenges.

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