Corporate Development Director, Shield AI
+ Bonus + Equity
Building AI aircraft pilots
Be an early applicant
Building AI aircraft pilots
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
+ Bonus + Equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.
Role
Who you are
- The ideal candidate brings deep experience across corporate development, private equity, investment banking, or consulting, combined with strong domain fluency in defense and/or advanced technology
- This role requires exceptional judgment, hands-on-deal leadership, initiative, and the ability to operate autonomously in complex, high-stakes environments
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, JD, or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred
- 12+ years of experience in corporate development, private equity, investment banking, strategy consulting, or related fields
- Proven track record of deal captaining complex transactions (M&A, partnerships, or investments) end-to-end
- Strong expertise in valuation, financial modeling, and transaction structuring
- Experience operating in defense, aerospace, or advanced technology sectors (AI, autonomy, robotics, or software) strongly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and operate effectively in high-stakes, ambiguous environments
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex analyses into clear, compelling narratives
- Highly self-directed, with a bias for ownership and delivering results in fast-paced, high-growth settings
What the job involves
- We are seeking a seasoned Corporate Development leader to both source and lead the execution of strategic initiatives, including partnerships, investments, and M&A
- This individual will operate as a thought partner to executives, shaping the company’s long-term growth strategy at the intersection of defense, autonomy, and AI
- Originate, evaluate, and lead complex, high-value strategic partnerships that accelerate Shield AI’s market position and capabilities
- Structure and negotiate sophisticated commercial agreements, including joint ventures, technology partnerships, and strategic alliances
- Build and maintain executive-level relationships with key industry players, government stakeholders, and ecosystem partners
- Identify non-obvious partnership opportunities that unlock long-term strategic advantage
- Lead end-to-end M&A execution, including sourcing, evaluation, deal structuring, negotiation, and integration planning
- Own advanced financial modeling, valuation, and scenario analysis to inform investment decisions
- Own internal and external transaction presentation materials and collateral
- Coordinate rigorous diligence processes across financial, operational, technical, and regulatory dimensions
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team on corporate strategy, capital allocation, and inorganic growth opportunities
- Translate ambiguous strategic questions into structured analyses and actionable recommendations
- Lead cross-functional initiatives involving finance, legal, product, engineering, and operations to execute complex transactions
- Influence senior stakeholders and align diverse teams around high-impact decisions
- Develop deep insights into defense, autonomy, and AI markets, including competitive dynamics, emerging technologies, and regulatory trends
- Proactively identify strategic risks and opportunities, shaping Shield AI’s long-term positioning
- Deliver clear, data-driven recommendations to executives and board-level stakeholders
- Contribute meaningfully to corporate strategy development and long-range planning
Our take
Self-driving vehicles present enormous benefits for the transportation industry, with the potential to increase the safety and efficiency of cars, trucks, and commercial airlines. However, such technological innovation is less present within the military transportation sector, despite the benefits that AI piloting would produce for the operation of drones and aircraft.
Shield AI is developing Hivemind, an AI-driven pilot that can operate drones and aircraft autonomously, without needing GPS, communications, or pilots. In addition to navigation, the technology is also designed to facilitate indoor building clearance, integrated defense breaching, and has the ability to learn and autonomously execute aircraft missions.
Whilst similar AI-driven pilot software has begun to appear in Chinese military research programs, Shield AI's target is the US. By developing fully autonomous piloting integrations for any type of aircraft, the company aims to future-proof the US military without the need for bespoke aircraft design. It has generated massive amounts of funding to support continued scaling and R&D efforts.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 14 rounds)
Mar 2026
$1.5bn
SERIES G
Mar 2026
$500m
LATE VC
Total funding: $3.0bn
Company benefits
- Excellent Medical Coverage
- Mental Health Employee Assistance Program
- Paid Parental Leave
- Pet Insurance
- Flexible Work Hours
- Gym Discount (San Diego)
- Onsite Gym (DC)
- Free Parking
- Competitive Compensation
- 401K Services and Match
- Stock Benefits
Company HQ
Core-Columbia, San Diego, CA
Leadership
Ryan Tseng
(Co-Founder & President)Experience as CEO, CTO and Founder of WiPower from 2006 to 2010. Technical Lead for Wireless Power Program for Qualcomm from 2010 to 2013.
Brandon Tseng
(Co-Founder & President)Naval Officer for the US Navy from 2009 to 2015.
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