Marketing Communications Manager

SteerAI; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 360,000 - 580,000; Full time

Job summary

SteerAI, an autonomous mobility technology company, seeks a hands-on marketing and communications leader to own brand, narrative, events and external/internal communications. You will work with the commercial team, engineering and ATRC stakeholders to elevate SteerAI’s market presence.

You will plan regional and international defence exhibitions (UMEX, IDEX, WDS), create capability briefs, case studies and thought leadership content, and manage digital channels with HubSpot.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in marketing/communications or related field.
• 5+ years in marketing and communications roles, preferably defence/aerospace/industrial/high-growth startup.
• Strong English writing ability; Arabic is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own SteerAI's positioning and messaging for defence end users and partners.
• Plan and execute regional and international defence exhibitions and conferences (UMEX, IDEX, WDS).
• Produce content to support sales: briefs, one-pagers, case studies, demos, and presentations.
• Lead thought leadership: bylined articles, speaking slots, analyst and media relationships.
• Manage digital presence (website, LinkedIn, HubSpot campaigns) and measure engagement.
• Guard media relations and advise on public disclosures with programme leads.
• Support internal communications and employer branding as the team scales.
• Establish the brand system: visual identity, templates, tone of voice.

Skills

Strategic marketing

Content creation

Event planning

Executive communications

Stakeholder management

English writing proficiency

Arabic language proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business or related field

Tools

HubSpot

Design tools basics

Job description

SteerAI is an autonomous mobility technology company powered by VentureOne, the commercialization arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council. SteerAI’s advanced AI-powered autonomy stack, developed by the Technology Innovation Institute, empowers the logistics and defense industries by turning industrial vehicles into autonomous powerhouses that can handle complex off-road missions, transform operations and protect organizations' most important assets: their workforce.

About the role

Your mission when joining SteerAI will be to build the market presence of a defence autonomy company that most of its customers have not yet heard of — and to make sure that when they do hear of us, it's in the right room, with the right message, at the right moment in their procurement cycle.

This is a hands-on role. You'll own marketing and communications end to end: brand and narrative, events and exhibitions, content and thought leadership, sales enablement, and external and internal communications. You'll work directly with the commercial team, engineering, and our stakeholders across ATRC.

Key Responsibilities

• Own SteerAI's positioning and messaging — turning complex autonomy capability into language that lands with military end users, procurement officials, integrators and partners.
• Plan and deliver our presence at regional and international defence exhibitions and conferences (UMEX, IDEX, WDS and equivalents): stand concept, demo narrative, collateral, briefings, and the follow-up that turns visitors into pipeline.
• Produce the content that supports the sales motion — capability briefs, one-pagers, case studies, trial and demonstration write-ups, video and imagery from the field, and executive presentations.
• Build and run our thought leadership programme: bylined articles, speaking slots, analyst and media relationships in the defence and unmanned systems press.
• Own our digital presence — website, LinkedIn, and the campaign and nurture flows in HubSpot — and report on what is actually generating engagement from target accounts.
• Manage media relations and act as the guardian of what we say publicly, working closely with programme leads on what can and cannot be disclosed.
• Support internal communications and employer branding as the team scales.
• Establish the brand system — visual identity, templates, tone of voice — and hold the line on it.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in marketing and communications roles, ideally in defence, aerospace, deep tech, industrials or a high-growth startup.
• Proven experience running trade shows and exhibitions end to end, including the operational reality of stand build, logistics and VIP visits.
• Strong writing ability in English — you can take an engineer's explanation and turn it into something a general officer will read to the end. Arabic is a significant advantage.
• Judgement around sensitive information: comfort working in an environment where much of what we do cannot be published, and instinct for where the line sits.
• Working knowledge of HubSpot or a comparable marketing automation platform, and the basics of design tooling.
• Comfort operating without a large team behind you — this role builds the function rather than inherits it.
• Understanding of the Gulf defence landscape and how government and military stakeholders here consume information is a strong plus.

What we offer

We offer a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and the opportunity to work alongside some of the brightest minds in the Autonomous Robotics industry. Our work culture is collaborative and inclusive, with a strong focus on innovation and personal growth.