Shield AI
Business Development & Sales Lead - UK
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Business Development Lead – V-BAT ISR Capability
Shield AI
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defence-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians through intelligent systems. Our products include:
- Hivemind autonomy software
- V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft
Across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, our technology actively supports global operations.
🌐 www.shield.ai 📧 Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube.
About the Role
Shield AI is seeking a high-performing Business Development Lead to drive growth for its V-BAT Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) UAS capability in the UK, with a primary focus on defence and government customers operating in time-sensitive and non-standard acquisition environments.
While V-BAT ISR remains the main commercial focus, the ideal candidate must also:
- Recognise and support opportunities for Shield AI’s Hivemind mission autonomy platform
- Integrate both capabilities seamlessly when customer needs allow
- Act as a credible representative of both product lines
This role demands a proactive, strategic approach to identifying, shaping, and closing complex opportunities, including urgent operational requirements.
You will collaborate closely with: ✔ Sales Leadership ✔ Product & Engineering Teams ✔ Strategic Engagement teams
To align customer needs with autonomous ISR and mission autonomy solutions, delivering mission-critical outcomes at pace.
The Ideal Candidate
The successful Business Development Lead should be:
- A trusted voice in special operations and special mission communities
- Someone who understands how capability requirements emerge in an environment outside standard procurement
- Capable of leveraging direct operational experience to sell back into UK MoD and allied networks
- Experienced in urgent operational requirements (UORs) and non-traditional defence acquisition pathways
- Adept at navigating decision-making structures and relationships in high-stakes environments
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What You’ll Do
You will own the full sales lifecycle for V-BAT ISR opportunities, including:
- Pipeline generation to deal closure, with special focus on accelerated and non-standard acquisition pathways
- Identifying and qualifying urgent operational requirements (UORs) based on deep expertise in end-user needs and funding mechanisms
Core Responsibilities
- Develop and execute territory strategies for high-priority special operations ISR engagements, aligning with long-term UK/allied strategic plans
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with:
- Key decision-makers in special operations, capability sponsors
- Programme offices and industry influencers
- Engage proactively with users, capability developers, and intermediaries to shape requirements before formalisation
- Lead proposal development, ensuring alignment with customer needs through collaboration with BD Operations and cross-functional teams
- Partner with Product, Engineering, and Solutions teams to:
Translate operational requirements into technical solutions
Focus on:
- V-BAT ISR performance
- Integration capability
- Mission autonomy (Hivemind) opportunities
- Proactively manage deal progression with rigor in: • Qualification & opportunity assessment • Deal strategy execution • Forecasting accuracy • CRM hygiene maintenance
Required Qualifications
✅ Substantive operational background in UK special operations, special missions, or high-readiness environment, with experience bridging operational requirements and capability development ✅ Direct familiarity with ISR capability identification, trialling, acquisition, and sustainment in non-standard or time-sensitive procurement frameworks ✅ Track record of exporting military experience into commercial roles, selling defence capabilities back into MoD or special operations communities ✅ Deep adjacency with UK defence acquisition processes, including: ° Formal procurement pipelines ° Accelerated/urgent Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs) ✅ Proven expertise in capturing complex, relationship-driven opportunities ✅ Technical aptitude to engage effectively with: » Engineering & Operations leaders » UAS/ISR performance & autonomous systems integration ✅ Security clearance requirements:
- Mandatory: Active SC clearance
- Preferred: DV-cleared or DV eligibility
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Preferred Qualifications
✔ Commercial experience selling UAS, ISR, or AI-enabled mission systems to UK defence or allied special operations customers ✔ Established relationships with special operations/special missions customers in a commercial capacity ✔ Understanding of mission autonomy, its application in special operations defence planning, and AI-enabled capabilities ✔ Experience engaging Strategic Partners (LSIs) within the UK UAS & autonomous systems market ✔ Awareness of UK/European regulatory & airspace challenges, relevant to UAS ISR integration ✔ Willingness to travel for operational engagements and industry events ✔ Degree-level education or equivalent professional certification
📩 Compensation & benefits vary by location. Speak to your Talent Acquisition Partner for full details on remuneration and perks.
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