X-BAT Business Development Director Middle East R4949

Job Description

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture‑backed deep‑tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V‑BAT and X‑BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia‑Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide.

At Shield AI, we’re redefining the battlespace with autonomy‑enabled airpower. As part of our global expansion, we’re looking for a bold and visionary Director – CCAs, Middle East to lead strategic sales, customer engagement, and capture efforts for our Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiatives across the region. This is a high‑impact role at the cutting edge of aerospace and defense innovation.

You’ll be on the front lines, driving adoption and revenue for Shield AI’s CCA technologies by engaging directly with top‑tier defense stakeholders—military customers, industry primes, and government decision‑makers.

• Drive Strategic Capture:
  Identify, shape, and capture high‑value opportunities across Middle Eastern next‑gen airpower programs relevant to CCAs and autonomy.
• Drive Regional Sales Pipeline:
  Lead the full business development lifecycle for CCA‑focused efforts, from customer engagement through proposal, negotiation, and contract award.
• Engage Key Stakeholders:
  Build and maintain trusted relationships with Ministries of Defence, defense primes, integrators, and key partners.
• Shape Requirements & CONOPS:
  Influence customer requirements and future CCA CONOPS to align with Shield AI’s product offerings.
• Support Demonstrations & Campaigns:
  Lead Shield AI’s positioning and participation in regional flight demos, technical trials, and program pilots.
• Coordinate Cross‑Functionally:
  Collaborate closely with engineering, product, legal, and program teams to align technical solutions with customer needs and delivery requirements.
• Inform Product Direction:
  Provide field intelligence to guide feature development, integration strategy, and roadmap priorities for Hivemind‑enabled CCA solutions.

• 15+ years in a relevant air force occupation, bringing significant depth of understanding of relevant CONOPs and platform applications (preference for real‑world operational experience flying tactical fighter aircraft with a strong technical background).
• 3–5+ years of experience in defense acquisition, business development, sales, or strategy, ideally with a focus on air platforms or autonomy.
• 5+ years of experience in the region either operationally or from a defense business perspective.
• Strong track record of capturing and closing defense programs or tech insertions with relevant ministries of Defense or multinational frameworks.
• Understanding of next‑gen air combat trends, including CCAs, MUM‑T, and AI‑enabled CONOPS.
• Ability to credibly represent technically complex products to both strategic and operational‑level audiences.
• Familiarity with key regional acquisition pathways.
• Willingness to live in the region (preferably Abu Dhabi) and to travel extensively across the Middle East (30–50%).

Role Level: Director
Work Type:
Full‑Time
Country:
United Arab Emirates
City:
Abu Dhabi
Company Website: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./
Job Function:
Business Development
Company Industry: Software Development

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