Senior Director, Partner Programs; R6239

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 (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).

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The Senior Director, Partner Programs owns Shield AI's strategic global partner program across Influence, Transacting, and OEM partnerships. This is both a program-building and execution-focused role
. The primary deliverable is establishing a functioning partner program, including signing and onboarding partners, developing incentive and margin structures that make each relationship successful, providing enablement that equips partners to sell, and generating analytics that demonstrate partner performance.

This role owns the execution of each partner's onboarding, governance, enablement, and accountability metrics. Success is measured through onboarding named partners on a predictable timeline, establishing a program governed by data rather than anecdotes, and building partnerships that generate measurable pipeline and revenue on both sides of the channel.

• Own end-to-end onboarding for every named strategic global partner, whether Shield AI is reselling that partner's OEM products or the partner is reselling Shield AI's products. Establish onboarding plans, coordinate agreements through Legal and Deal Desk, implement the operational and commercial structures, and bring each partner to initial revenue on a predictable timeline.

• Collaborate on the development and ongoing evolution of a global partner program structure, including in-region execution, that governs all named partners. This includes partner tiering, agreements, rules of engagement, deal registration, and the operating cadence needed to maintain healthy relationships. Ensure consistency across regions while accommodating the unique requirements of each market.

• Facilitate the two-way flow of relevant information regarding program incentives, margins, and rebate structures across both sides of the channel. Drive partner accountability to ensure incentives and behaviors align with the business's desired outcomes.

• Develop both sides of the channel: partners who resell Shield AI products and OEM partners whose hardware and software Shield AI resells. Treat both as core components of the program, manage dependencies between them, and ensure the combined portfolio remains aligned with Shield AI's go-to-market priorities.

• Equip named partners to successfully sell and deliver. Develop onboarding content, certification paths, and joint business plans that drive partner productivity. Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to maintain accountability and uphold consistent governance standards across every named partner relationship.

• Define and track the metrics that demonstrate program effectiveness, including partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, revenue, onboarding cycle time, incentive ROI, and partner health. Report results quarterly and use these insights to inform partner tiering, incentive structures, and future onboarding priorities.

The priorities below reflect the current business needs and are expected to evolve as the business grows.

• Onboard the…