a16z Senior Staff Technical Program Manager (R5270)
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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 . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
Job Description:
Hivemind Catalyst: A Faster Path to First Flight
Shield AI is building the world's best AI pilot. Hivemind powers intelligent aircraft, drones, and robotic systems that operate autonomously in the most demanding environments. Hivemind Catalyst accelerates the adoption of autonomy by enabling customers to rapidly develop, integrate, test, and deploy sovereign autonomous capabilities on their own platforms.
As a Senior Staff Technical Program Manager for Hivemind Catalyst, you will operate at the intersection of technology, strategy, business development, and execution. You will help customers define their autonomy roadmaps, shape technical solutions, drive software alignment across internal teams, and ensure successful execution of customer programs from initial engagement through delivery.
This role requires exceptional technical judgment, executive communication skills, and the ability to create structure and clarity in highly ambiguous environments. You will work directly with senior engineering leaders, business leaders, international partners, and customers to accelerate the adoption of autonomy at scale.
What you'll do:
Program Leadership and Execution
- Lead technical program management activities for Hivemind customer programs.
- Develop technical execution plans that drive technology maturation and successful customer outcomes.
- Establish clear milestones, entry criteria, exit criteria, and measurable success metrics across programs.
- Manage program cost, schedule, scope, risk, dependencies, and resource allocation.
- Track customer spending against contractual budgets and program commitments.
- Identify risks early and drive mitigation strategies that reduce technical, schedule, and business uncertainty.
- Hold internal and external stakeholders accountable to commitments while maintaining strong customer relationships.
Software and Roadmap Alignment
- Embed closely within Hivemind Enterprise teams to ensure customer needs are accurately represented in product and engineering priorities.
- Drive closed-loop communication between customers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders.
- Support software release planning, roadmap development, prioritization, and resource allocation decisions.
- Ensure technical investments align with strategic priorities, revenue opportunities, and customer outcomes.
- Advocate for the capabilities that create the greatest impact for customers and the business.
Customer Strategy and Technical Planning
- Review and assess Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates, Statements of Work (SOWs), proposals, bids, and customer engagements across domestic and international markets.
- Develop pricing recommendations, high-level technical decompositions, project plans, and execution strategies.
- Partner with customers to define technical roadmaps that accelerate the development, deployment, and operationalization of sovereign autonomy capabilities.
- Help customers establish practical paths from prototype to production and mission-ready deployment.
- Support business development, capture, and growth initiatives through technical planning, proposal development, and customer engagement.
Internal Strategic Execution
- Own and maintain technical execution roadmaps across internal Catalyst priorities.
- Create structure, prioritization frameworks, and execution plans for internal research and development efforts.
- Drive alignment across multiple technical roadmaps and identify interdependencies, conflicts, and resource constraints.
- Monitor program health, track progress against objectives, and facilitate data-driven decision making.
- Support organizational OKRs and key performance metrics through disciplined execution and reporting.
Executive Communication and Stakeholder Management
- Develop executive-level communications, briefings, summaries, and decision materials for internal and external stakeholders.
- Support Monthly Portfolio Reviews, Executive Steering Committees, Quarterly Business Reviews, Board Reviews, and other strategic forums.
- Communicate effectively with senior engineering, business, government, and international stakeholders.
- Drive alignment across technical, operational, financial, and strategic priorities.
Strategic Initiatives
- Lead and support high-impact strategic initiatives that enable company growth and global expansion.
- Partner across engineering, legal, compliance, finance, facilities, business development, and operations teams to solve complex cross-functional challenges.
- Contribute to international expansion efforts, including establishment of new offices, partnerships, and operating models.
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management within a fast-paced technology organization.
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional technical programs involving software, systems, and external stakeholders.
- Experience developing project plans, execution roadmaps, schedules, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, release planning, and technical product roadmaps.
- Experience supporting customer-facing programs, proposals, SOW development, or technical business development activities.
- Demonstrated ability to drive clarity, alignment, and execution in ambiguous environments.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level communications.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make informed decisions using incomplete information.
- Ability to work effectively across engineering, product, business development, finance, and operations organizations.
- Willingness to travel up to 25%, including domestic and international travel.
Preferred qualifications:
- Experience in autonomy, robotics, aerospace, defense technology, aviation, or complex software platforms.
- Experience supporting international customers, partners, or technology programs.
- Experience developing technical proposals, ROMs, pricing strategies, or capture plans.
- Familiarity with government, defense, or national security acquisition environments.
- Experience managing programs involving multiple stakeholders across technical and business domains.
- MBA, Master's degree, or advanced technical degree.
Why Shield AI:
At Shield AI, you will help define the future of autonomy. You will work alongside world-class engineers, operators, and business leaders to deliver transformational technology that enables customers to build and deploy sovereign autonomous capabilities faster than ever before.
If you thrive in ambiguity, enjoy solving complex technical and business problems, and want to play a central role in shaping the future of autonomous systems, we'd love to hear from you.
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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.
Skills
As published by lever · 19 questions · 9 written answers
Basics
Which location are you applying for?, Resume/CV, Full name, Email, Phone, Current location, Current company, LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, GitHub URL, Portfolio URL, Other website
Short answers (1)
- Please state your full legal name:
Pick from a list (9)
- Are you authorized to work in the United States?
- Will you require sponsorship for employment now or in the future?
- This position may require access to information and technology that is subject to export controls, such as EAR. Are you any of the following?
- Shield AI provides technology, services, and support to the United States military and allied forces with their various missions. If selected for employment with Shield AI, your contributions will directly relate to and/or support these missions. Are there any reasons why you would not be able to fully contribute in support of the U.S. military and allied forces?
- How did you hear about us?
- Are you a transitioning service member?
- If yes, what partnership program are you working with? optional
- Are you local to or willing to relocate? optional
- What office(s) would you be willing to relocate to? (Select all that apply) optional
Written answers (9)
- If yes, what type of sponsorship? optional
- If you selected "A protected Individual" OR "Other" to the above question, please explain further. optional
- (Optional) If you selected other or would like to expand on the above, feel free to do so below: optional
- If "Industry Conference" or "Other," please provide more details: optional
- If other, please provide further details optional
- When are you available to start your fellowship? optional
- When are you available for full time work? optional
- What full time job(s) are you applying for?
- If you selected international, what location(s)? optional