Director of Business Development, Hivemind (Europe & Africa)

The Rundown AI, Inc.; Abu Dhabi; Remote; AED 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in defense technology is seeking a Director of Hivemind for Europe & Africa. This role involves leading product strategy, driving customer adoption, and engaging with stakeholders across defense sectors. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in defense technology and strong leadership skills. This position requires travel across Europe and Africa, making it a pivotal role in advancing autonomous systems.

Benefits

Comprehensive international benefits package

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in defense, aerospace, or autonomous systems.
• Strong familiarity with European defense procurement processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead Regional Product Strategy for Hivemind across Europe & Africa.
• Drive Adoption with defense customers and OEMs.
• Engage Stakeholders as a key point of contact.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Technical degree

Job description

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent, autonomous systems. Its products include Hivemind Enterprise—EdgeOS, Pilot, Commander, and Forge—as well as V-BAT and Sentient Vision Systems (wide-area motion imaging software). With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.

At Shield AI, we're building the world’s most advanced AI pilot. Our groundbreaking autonomy stack, Hivemind, empowers unmanned systems to operate independently—even in the most extreme environments where GPS and communications are denied. From the battlefield to the edge of space, Hivemind is redefining what’s possible.

As we expand our global footprint, we’re seeking a Director of Hivemind – Europe & Africa to spearhead the regional growth of Hivemind Enterprise across air, land, maritime, and space domains. In this pivotal leadership role, you’ll lead the charge on customer adoption, partner collaboration, cutting-edge technical integrations, and operational deployments across allied defense forces and industry partners.

This isn’t just a job—it’s a mission. You’ll be at the nexus of breakthrough AI, next-gen defense platforms, and real-world mission execution. If you're driven to shape the future of autonomous systems and thrive where innovation meets impact, we want you on our team.

• This role is not limited to candidates in one location, we are open to candidates based in Europe & Africa with ability to travel across both continents 30-50%.

What you'll do :

• Lead Regional Product Strategy : Own and execute the Hivemind product and integration strategy across Europe & Africa in coordination with Shield AI’s global product, engineering, and business development teams.
• Drive Adoption : Champion Hivemind with defense customers and OEMs, shaping concept of operations (CONOPS), autonomy requirements, and system architectures to ensure successful adoption.
• Drive Hivemind Solutions : Support end-to-end Hivemind integrations onto third-party platforms in collaboration with platform providers and Shield AI engineers.
• Drive Hivemind Enterprise : Support the delivery and scaling of Hivemind Enterprise.
• Engage Stakeholders : Serve as a key point of contact for government customers, OEMs, integrators, and field users across the region.
• Engage with Engineering & Product : Act as the bridge between regional customers and Shield AI engineering teams—translating mission needs into feature requests, system architectures, and integration priorities.
• Support Bids & Demos : Lead or support regional demonstration campaigns, RFP responses, and customer trials to showcase Hivemind capabilities.
• Influence Product Development : Provide regional customer feedback and mission insights to inform Shield AI’s autonomy roadmap and feature prioritization.
• Ensure Compliance : Navigate the technical aspects of export control, ITAR / EAR compliance, and system certification in coordination with internal legal and security teams.

Required qualifications :

• 10+ years of experience in defense, aerospace, or autonomous systems, including leadership roles in product, program, or technical delivery.
• Deep understanding of defense technology programs and autonomy, especially in unmanned systems.
• Proven track record of delivering complex systems involving software, hardware, and integration across government and industry partners.
• Strong familiarity with European defense procurement processes and operational environments.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel up to 30–50% across Europe and Africa as required.

Preferred qualifications :

• Experience integrating autonomy software into UAVs, loitering munitions, or robotic platforms (hardware / software co-design, GNC, SWaP constraints).
• Experience with AI / ML-driven autonomy stacks, robotics middleware (e.g. ROS / ROS2), and embedded systems on air, land, or sea platforms.
• Knowledge of distributed C2 systems, edge networking, and multi-agent coordination.
• Prior work with Hivemind or similar autonomy frameworks in real-world operational contexts.
• Experience with NATO-standard architectures, STANAGs, or national defense software frameworks.
• Technical degree (e.g. robotics, computer engineering, aerospace, systems engineering) or relevant military / defense background.

Our international team members are employed through our Employer of Record (EOR) and receive a comprehensive international benefits package on top of base salary. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.

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