Senior Director, Partner Programs

Shield AI; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI in Washington, DC / Dallas, TX is seeking a Senior Director, Partner Programs to build and execute a global partner program. You will recruit, onboard, and enable strategic partners, design incentives, and drive measurable revenue across a two-way channel.

The role requires 10+ years in partner programs, strong analytical skills, and willingness to travel internationally. Expect ownership of governance, performance analytics, and program standardization across regions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience building and managing global partner programs.
• Experience designing partner incentives and rebates with measurable return.
• Experience managing partnerships across hardware and software, incl. OEM relationships.
• Defense/dual-use or public-sector partnership experience preferred.
• Strong analytical skills and data-driven decision making.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end onboarding for named strategic global partners and drive first revenue on a predictable timeline.
• Collaborate on global partner program design, tiering, and engagement rules across regions.
• Design and govern incentives, margins, and rebate structures for two-way channel.
• Develop both reseller and OEM partner ecosystems and manage interdependencies.
• Create enablement content, certification paths, and joint business plans for partners.
• Lead quarterly business reviews and governance across all named partners.
• Define metrics for partner performance, pipeline, revenue, and onboarding velocity.

Skills

Executive presence

Partner-first mindset

Organized operator

Strong builder and negotiator

Data-driven and results-oriented

Cross-functional collaboration

Outcome-focused

Travel readiness

Job description

Senior Director, Partner Programs (R6239)

Team: Business Development

Location: Washington, D.C., Dallas, Texas, Remote

Commitment: Full Time Employee

Workplace Type: onsite

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.

The Senior Director, Partner Programs owns Shield AI's strategic global partner program across Influence, Transacting, and OEM partnerships. This is both a program-building and execution-focused role. The primary deliverable is establishing a functioning partner program, including signing and onboarding partners, developing incentive and margin structures that make each relationship successful, providing enablement that equips partners to sell, and generating analytics that demonstrate partner performance.

This role owns the execution of each partner's onboarding, governance, enablement, and accountability metrics. Success is measured through onboarding named partners on a predictable timeline, establishing a program governed by data rather than anecdotes, and building partnerships that generate measurable pipeline and revenue on both sides of the channel.

What You'll Do

• Strategic Partner Recruitment and Onboarding

  Own end-to-end onboarding for every named strategic global partner, whether Shield AI is reselling that partner's OEM products or the partner is reselling Shield AI's products. Establish onboarding plans, coordinate agreements through Legal and Deal Desk, implement the operational and commercial structures, and bring each partner to initial revenue on a predictable timeline.

• Global Partner Program Design

  Collaborate on the development and ongoing evolution of a global partner program structure, including in-region execution, that governs all named partners. This includes partner tiering, agreements, rules of engagement, deal registration, and the operating cadence needed to maintain healthy relationships. Ensure consistency across regions while accommodating the unique requirements of each market.

• Incentive and Economics Design

  Facilitate the two-way flow of relevant information regarding program incentives, margins, and rebate structures across both sides of the channel. Drive partner accountability to ensure incentives and behaviors align with the business's desired outcomes.

• Two-Way Channel Development

  Develop both sides of the channel: partners who resell Shield AI products and OEM partners whose hardware and software Shield AI resells. Treat both as core components of the program, manage dependencies between them, and ensure the combined portfolio remains aligned with Shield AI's go-to-market priorities.

• Partner Enablement and Governance

  Equip named partners to successfully sell and deliver. Develop onboarding content, certification paths, and joint business plans that drive partner productivity. Lead quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to maintain accountability and uphold consistent governance standards across every named partner relationship.

• Partner Performance Analytics

  Define and track the metrics that demonstrate program effectiveness, including partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, revenue, onboarding cycle time, incentive ROI, and partner health. Report results quarterly and use these insights to inform partner tiering, incentive structures, and future onboarding priorities.

Current Priorities — FY27

• Named Partner Onboarding Waves

  Onboard the current group of named strategic global partners on a predictable cadence across both sides of the channel. Develop a repeatable onboarding playbook and operating calendar that enables each new partner to reach first revenue without reinventing the process.

• Two-Way Channel Coverage

  Build channel coverage in priority international markets in both directions: partners who can resell Shield AI products and OEM partners whose hardware and software Shield AI can resell. Sequence development efforts in alignment with GTM Strategy's market priorities.

• Partner Analytics and Reporting

  Establish a single source of truth for partner performance, including pipeline, revenue, margin, onboarding velocity, and incentive ROI by partner. Leverage these insights to govern the program and guide partner tiering and investment decisions.

• Partner Program Systemization

  Transform one-off onboarding and partner management activities into a repeatable, versioned program with standardized agreements, enablement resources, and QBR structures. Ensure each new named partner benefits from established processes and lessons learned rather than starting from scratch.

• Partner Metrics & KPIs

  • Partner-Sourced and Partner-Influenced Pipeline: Pipeline generated through named partners on both sides of the channel, tracked against established targets.

  • Partner Revenue and Margin: Booked revenue and realized margin by partner, including both Shield AI-resold and partner-resold products.

  • Incentive ROI: Revenue and margin generated per dollar of incentive, rebate, or margin provided, measured by program and by partner.

  • Partner Productivity and Health: Active selling partners, certification and enablement completion rates, and partner health scores that identify at-risk relationships early.

  • Program Coverage: Named partners onboarded against the target market map across both directions of the channel.

Travel: Regular international travel required, approximately 40%.

What You’ll Bring

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience building and managing global partner programs, channel programs, or strategic alliances in B2B technology, with direct, end-to-end ownership of named partner relationships.
• Proven experience designing partner incentives, margin structures, and rebate programs, with the ability to demonstrate their return through data.
• Experience managing global partnerships across both hardware and software, including relationships where the company resells OEM products and where partners resell the company’s products.
• Defense, dual-use, or public-sector partnership experience strongly preferred, including familiarity with long sales cycles, complex stakeholder environments, export and compliance considerations, and program-driven buyers.
• Strong analytical capabilities, including hands‑on experience building partner performance reporting and leveraging data to guide tiering, incentives, and investment decisions.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a regular basis, approximately 40% of the working calendar.

Skills and Disposition

• Executive Presence and Influence: Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to influence internal leadership and partner principals.
• Partner-First Mindset: Builds programs around how partners actually sell and deliver, rather than relying solely on predefined templates.
• Organized Operator: Effectively manages the onboarding of named partners on a predictable cadence across multiple regions and complex workstreams.
• Strong Builder and Negotiator: Translates strategy and partner input into practical agreements, incentive structures, and enablement programs that succeed in the field.
• Data-Driven and Results-Oriented: Defines meaningful partner KPIs and uses performance data to demonstrate results and continuously improve the program.
• Cross-Functional Collaborator: Works closely with GTM Strategy on market priorities, Legal and Deal Desk on commercial terms, and Sales leadership on alignment, without requiring direct authority over these functions.
• Outcome-Focused: Understands the distinction between activity and impact, prioritizing partner-driven pipeline and revenue over partner count.

Compensation and Benefits

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.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed toequal 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.