Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

The Solutions Engineering Manager, V BAT Europe, leads a small team of player-coach Field Solutions Engineers who drive technical capture, solution design, and presales execution for V BAT campaigns across European defense and security customers. The manager balances direct customer facing work with people leadership, and is accountable for aligning V BAT employment concepts, system configurations, and technical narratives with European mission needs, acquisition pathways, and Shield AI’s product roadmap. The role operates as the primary technical counterpart to Business Development for V BAT in Europe, and ensures that every commitment made in the field can be delivered by the underlying platform, autonomy, and mission systems.

What you'll do:

Lead a small regional V-BAT solutions engineering team as a player coach, including day to day prioritization, team processes, technical review of work, feedback, and professional development.

Personally own high priority European customer and partner engagements for V-BAT, from first technical conversation through capture, proposal, and initial deployment planning.

Develop and maintain campaign level technical strategies and architectures for V-BAT in Europe, including configurations, CONOPS, payload mixes, and integration dependencies aligned to Shield AI’s product roadmap.

Guide the team’s creation of compliant, compelling technical content for RFIs, RFPs, white papers, briefings, and demonstrations, and ensure that all material is accurate and executable by engineering and programs.

Partner closely with Business Development, Program Management, Product, and Engineering to translate European customer requirements into clear design intent, backlog inputs, and field ready solutions.

Build and deepen trusted relationships with key European defense and security stakeholders, representing V-BAT and the broader Shield AI product ecosystem in technical discussions, reviews, and exercises.

Analyze European operational concepts, basing constraints, regulatory environments, and competitive offerings, and turn those insights into differentiated V-BAT positioning and technical recommendations.

Establish and continuously improve regional solutions engineering rhythms, tools, and standards for V-BAT, including forecasting, staffing for events and demos, pipeline coverage, and lessons learned capture.

Required qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, applied science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Seven or more years of experience in technical presales, solutions engineering, systems engineering, or closely related roles in defense, aerospace, or government focused technology.

Two or more years of experience managing, leading or mentoring technical teams, with demonstrated ability to operate as a player coach who contributes directly while leading others.

Strong technical acumen in uncrewed aircraft systems, mission payloads, and autonomy enabled concepts of operation, with the ability to reason across air vehicle, sensor, datalink, and ground system elements.

Experience working with European or other international defense customers, including exposure to procurement processes, operational evaluations, and security or export considerations.

Demonstrated ability to lead complex customer engagements end to end, including requirements discovery, solution shaping, and technical proposal or volume ownership.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of producing clear technical narratives, briefings, and artifacts for both technical and senior decision maker audiences.

Willingness and ability to travel frequently within Europe and to Shield AI locations to support customers, partners, tests, and demonstrations.

Preferred qualifications:

Graduate degree in engineering, applied science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

Deep familiarity with European defense market dynamics, including key ministries, acquisition paths such as FMS and DCS, NATO processes, and regional operational trends relevant to V-BAT missions.

Active or previously held security clearance from the United States or a NATO nation, and or status as a U S Person under ITAR and related export control regimes.

Experience managing or contributing to complex multinational capture efforts, including coalition or partnered operations, offset requirements, and industrial participation structures.

Background that spans both systems engineering and customer facing work, with demonstrated ability to translate operational problems into implementable technical architectures and configurations.

Three or more years of experience in a startup or high growth environment where processes, products, and markets are evolving quickly.

Prior hands on experience with V-BAT operations, employment, testing, or integration, or direct experience with comparable vertical takeoff tactical UAS platforms. Familiarity with Shield AI’s autonomy stack, mission software, and payload ecosystem, including Hivemind, AI Pilot, ISR payloads, and associated ground systems, or similar autonomy enabled mission systems.

Fluency or strong proficiency in one or more major European languages in addition to English.

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Our international teammates receive a comprehensive total rewards package aligned to your country office location. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.

Senior Manager, Field Solutions Engineering (R5205)

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