# Senior Business Development Manager

**Company**: Shield AI
**Location**: San Francisco
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Category**: Sales
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/0ac6634d-69d6-423c-b99c-02c02ed52f55?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_049d31c8-8e9

## Description

We're seeking a customer-first, technically credible seller with strong capture instincts, experience navigating defense acquisition processes, and a proven track record of winning and expanding strategic accounts.

As a Senior Business Development Manager, you will own and drive the full sales lifecycle for Hivemind opportunities across assigned accounts/territories (pipeline generation through close). You will develop and execute territory and capture strategies for priority pursuits, aligning with Shield AI's long-term strategic plan.

Key responsibilities include:

- Identifying, qualifying, and shaping new business opportunities through deep understanding of customer missions, budgets, and acquisition pathways

- Building and maintaining strong relationships with key decision-makers, program offices, and influencers across defense and government customers

- Leading proposal development in partnership with BD Operations and cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment with customer requirements and value propositions

- Conducting competitive analysis and positioning Hivemind effectively in complex, multi-stakeholder environments

- Partnering with Product, Engineering, and Solutions teams to translate customer needs into compelling technical and operational solutions

- Managing deal progression with rigor (qualification, deal strategy, forecasting accuracy, CRM hygiene)

- Representing Shield AI at industry events, conferences, and customer engagements to expand market presence and pipeline

Measures of success include strong pipeline generation and progression within assigned accounts and territories, successful execution of capture strategies resulting in qualified opportunities and wins, improved deal velocity and win rates through disciplined qualification and positioning, establishment of trusted relationships with key customer stakeholders and partners, consistent, accurate forecasting and high-quality CRM and pipeline hygiene, and meaningful contribution to revenue growth across the Americas Hivemind business.

Required qualifications include 10–15+ years of experience in business development, sales, or capture roles in technically complex domains (AI/ML, autonomy, SaaS, aerospace/defense, or similar), a proven track record of owning and closing deals, particularly within U.S. government or defense markets, deep understanding of defense acquisition processes and government procurement lifecycle, strong experience developing and executing capture strategies for complex opportunities, technical aptitude and ability to engage credibly with Engineering, Product, and Operational stakeholders, excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, self-motivated, results-oriented, and capable of operating in a fast-paced environment, and a Bachelor's degree.

Preferred qualifications include experience selling autonomy, AI/ML, or unmanned systems (UAS) solutions, prior military experience, established relationships within defense, government, or aerospace customer sets, experience working with Large Systems Integrators (LSIs) and strategic partners, ability to travel as needed for customer engagements and industry events, active or eligibility for security clearance, and an MBA or equivalent graduate degree.

## Skills

### Required
- Business Development
- Sales
- Capture Management
- Defense Acquisition Processes
- Government Procurement Lifecycle
- Capture Strategies
- Technical Aptitude
- Communication
- Negotiation
- Stakeholder Management

### Nice to have
- Autonomy
- AI/ML
- Unmanned Systems (UAS)
- Large Systems Integrators (LSIs)
- Strategic Partners

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Source: [Apply at jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/0ac6634d-69d6-423c-b99c-02c02ed52f55?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)