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Shield AI, a venture-backed defense-tech company, is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager to drive market growth and business expansion across Poland. As the territory leader, you will represent Shield AI's autonomy and aircraft portfolio—including V-BAT, X-BAT, ViDAR-enabled ISR capabilities, and Hivemind autonomy software—across customer engagements, operational demonstrations, strategic partnerships, and business growth initiatives.
You will own territory strategy, pipeline development, account growth, and opportunity execution across the region, driving opportunities from early shaping through award and expansion. This role combines strategic business development, account leadership, and revenue generation in a fast-paced international defense environment, with a carried sales quota for your assigned territory.
Key responsibilities include: executing Shield AI's go-to-market strategy aligned with strategic growth priorities and customer mission requirements; building and growing a disciplined pipeline across autonomy, aircraft, ISR, and mission-system opportunities; leading end-to-end deal closure including account planning, customer shaping, competitive positioning, proposal leadership, negotiation, and contract close; engaging directly with senior military leaders, Ministries of Defence, procurement authorities, and strategic industry partners; representing and differentiating Shield AI's portfolio by articulating mission outcomes and operational advantages; developing and managing regional partnerships and offset-aligned strategies; coordinating cross-functional teams across Business Development, Product, Engineering, Government Relations, Legal, Contracts, Export Compliance, Operations, and Customer teams; maintaining disciplined forecasting and pipeline management; providing regional market intelligence on competitor dynamics and customer demand; and supporting executive customer engagement post-award for long-term account expansion.
Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide, with offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The ideal candidate is a customer-focused and technically credible leader with strong commercial instincts, experience navigating defense acquisition environments, and a proven track record of growing strategic accounts and delivering mission-critical outcomes.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 6+ years of experience in business development, capture, sales, strategic engagement, account management, or related customer-facing roles within defense, aerospace, national security, or advanced technology environments
- Experience operating across international defense, government, or regulated markets, including navigating complex stakeholder and procurement environments
- Demonstrated success identifying, shaping, and advancing complex opportunities involving long sales cycles, senior stakeholders, and technically differentiated solutions
- Strong executive presence and ability to build credibility with military, government, industry, and strategic partner stakeholders
- Technical aptitude and operational understanding of autonomous systems, ISR, mission systems, AI-enabled capabilities, or related defense technologies
- Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently throughout the territory and internationally
- Based within the region or willing to relocate to a strategic location within the assigned territory
- Fluency in English and regional languages relevant to the assigned market
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional, military, or operational experience preferred
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with UAS, autonomy, ISR, mission systems, aerospace, or AI-enabled operational capabilities
- Existing relationships across defense ministries, military organizations, procurement authorities, or strategic industry partners within Poland
- Experience supporting direct commercial sales, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), or international government procurement programs
- Prior military, operational defense, government, or national security experience
