Senior Staff Technical Program Manager (R5215)

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-BAT aircraft, 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: As Technical Program Manager you will be responsible for ensuring the quality of Hivemind Enterprise, a software development kit that enables both Shield AI and third parties to create a new generation of unmanned systems and mission applications that deliver transformative capabilities for the U.S. and its allies. You will work with sponsors, product managers, designers and a talented cross-functional engineering team to lead on-time, on-quality software releases. This Technical Program Manager role requires a versatile individual who can plan and manage complex software test automation projects and flight test operations.

What you'll do:

Drive the planning, execution, and delivery of complex software releases for the Hivemind Enterprise platform

Drive major initiatives building out rigorous simulation-based test automation for autonomy software

Drive large complex test operations from CI through HIL and flight test

Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and customer engagement, to define test scope, objectives, and deliverables

Develop detailed project plans, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation, ensuring adherence to budget and schedule

Monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure successful project completion

Facilitate regular communication with stakeholders, providing updates on project status, challenges, and accomplishments

Drive continuous improvement in project management processes, tools, and methodologies

Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the program management team

Facilitate technical decision making to appropriately prioritize work and make complex trades

Reinforce Shield AI's reputation for technical excellence and ability to deliver through expert engagement and disciplined execution

Required qualifications:

B.S. in Computer Science, or a related field with 8+ years of work experience in Program Management, Engineering Management or Software Test Engineering; alternative degrees are acceptable if professional experience is focused in testing Enterprise Software, Artificial Intelligence, or Robotics

Experience driving testing of complex software and integrated HW/SW systems.

Experience driving release management and software test operations

You have a track record of driving results, not just providing status

You have solid technical foundations in test engineering and software development, with deep knowledge of how to optimize the software development lifecycle

You have the ability to recognize efficiency and inefficiency in projects and prioritize remedies based on accurate cost-benefit analysis

You are an exceptional, fundamentals-driven problem solver and communicator

You have a demonstrated record of setting and achieving goals in dynamic environments, working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others

Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills

Power user of Jira or work management tools

Preferred qualifications:

Advanced degree in Computer Science or MBA

Previous experience as a software developer or a test engineer

Previous experience driving software releases or test operations for enterprise software used by software engineers

Passionate about software documentation

Autonomy, AI, ML expertise

PMP, Scrum Master, or si …