Director, Export Policy (R5598)

AI Chopping Block; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI, a defense-tech innovator, seeks a Director to shape the international release and deployment of advanced autonomy, aircraft, and AI-enabled technologies. You will lead policy engagement with the U.S.

Government and allied partners to advance technology security, security cooperation, and international partnerships worldwide. In this role you will coordinate with engineering, product, and legal teams, translate complex capabilities into security and policy strategies, and build

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• 12+ years in national security policy, technology security, or related fields preferred.
• Strong understanding of U.S. government interagency decision-making.]
• Proven ability to navigate complex interagency processes and communicate policy implications to technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Shape policy for international release of autonomy, aircraft, and AI-enabled technologies.
• Lead engagement with DoD, State, NSC, and allied partners on security cooperation and foreign disclosure.
• Translate technical capabilities into clear technology-security and policy strategies for leadership and programs.
• Coordinate with Policy, Legal, Engineering, and Programs to align international opportunities with national security priorities.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Policy engagement

Interagency collaboration

Communication skills

Technical translation

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

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-BATaircraft, 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 www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Job Description:

Shape Shield AI’s strategy for the international release and deployment of advanced autonomy, aircraft, and AI-enabled technologies. The Director will lead policy engagement with the U.S. Government and allied partners on technology security, foreign disclosure, security cooperation, and security assistance—creating pathways for Shield AI capabilities to support U.S. and allied national security objectives worldwide.

What you'll do:

Technology Security & Foreign Disclosure Strategy

• Develop company strategy for technology security and foreign disclosure across Shield AI products, capabilities, countries, and international programs.
• Identify technology-release considerations early and develop pathways for the responsible international release of advanced autonomy, aircraft, and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Advise leadership and program teams on releasability, partner considerations, geopolitical risks, and U.S. Government policy affecting international opportunities.
• Partner with engineering and product teams to translate complex technical capabilities into clear technology-security and foreign-disclosure strategies.

Interagency Engagement & Policy Shaping

• Build trusted relationships across DoD, State, NSC staff, military departments, combatant commands, and other stakeholders involved in technology security, foreign disclosure, and international defense partnerships.
• Represent Shield AI in policy discussions concerning the international release of autonomous systems, AI-enabled capabilities, and next-generation aircraft.
• Develop persuasive policy positions, white papers, and senior-level briefings that demonstrate how Shield AI technologies advance U.S. national security, coalition, and partner objectives.
• Anticipate emerging policy issues surrounding autonomous and AI-enabled technologies and help shape government approaches to their international release.

Security Cooperation & International Strategy

• Help position Shield AI capabilities within U.S. security cooperation and security assistance frameworks.
• Advise international campaigns on interagency decision-making, partner requirements, regional considerations, and technology-release strategy.
• Align international opportunities with U.S. defense and foreign policy priorities and allied capability requirements.
• Coordinate across Policy, Business Development, Legal, Engineering, Product, and Programs to establish unified strategies for priority international opportunities.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of experience in national security policy, technology security, foreign disclosure, security cooperation, security assistance, international defense policy, or related government engagement.
• Significant experience working in or with the U.S. national security interagency.
• Strong understanding of U.S. Government decision-making around international defense partnerships, technology release, security cooperation, and security assistance.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex interagency processes and build trusted relationships with senior government, military, technical, and operational stakeholders.
• Strong strategic communication skills, including development of persuasive policy narratives, senior-level briefings, and decision materials.
• Ability to understand sophisticated defense technologies and translate technical capabilities into policy and national security considerations.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience serving in a U.S. Government security cooperation, security assistance, technology security, foreign disclosure, or international defense role.
• Experience as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO), Security Cooperation Officer, Defense Attaché, Country Director, Foreign Disclosure Officer, or in a comparable regional or international security role.
• Experience working with DoD, State, DSCA, military departments, combatant commands, NSC staff, or U.S. embassies.
• Familiarity with Foreign Military Sales, security cooperation, technology security, and foreign disclosure processes.
• Experience influencing U.S. Government policy concerning the international release of advanced defense technologies.
• Experience working with allied and partner governments on defense capability development or technology release.
• Comfort working with engineers, operators, and product teams on advanced autonomy, AI, aircraft, and other emerging technologies.
• Advanced degree in international affairs, national security, public policy, law, or a related field.