Country Manager, Benelux (3739)
Amsterdam
Growth Division – International Business Development /
International EOR /
On-site
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Boston, Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kyiv (Ukraine), and Melbourne (Australia), Shield AI’s technology actively supports U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn,X, YouTubeand Instagram.
The Country Manager, Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg) will be heading Shield AI´s operational execution and growth in these countries. This person will lead and manage an in-country team, with a demanding job, and a very high level of responsibility and accountability to perform and deliver results but will undoubtedly have the opportunity to make an outsized impact and become a major contributor to the company.
He/she will be responsible for building and strengthening Shield AI’s military and political influence including setting and execution of defined capture strategies.
Lead cross-functional integration, serving as the unifying figure across Shield AI´s Business Development, Government Relations, Program Management, Legal, Contracts, and Customer Operations—ensuring seamless coordination.
What you'll do
- Build and strengthen Shield AI’s military and political influence in country through sustained engagement with key political and government stakeholders, and industry partners.
- Ensure operational execution, offset obligations, oversee delivery of current contracts and accountability for key performance metrics, team outputs, and customer satisfaction.
- Act as the most senior Shield AI representative in country, ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and export requirements while embodying Shield AI’s mission, values, and leadership principles.
- Set and execute the capture strategy for the country, ensuring long-term growth across sales, partnerships, and influence operations.
- Lead cross-functional integration, serving as the unifying figure across Business Development, Government Relations, Program Management, Legal, Contracts, and Customer Operations—ensuring seamless coordination.
- Engage with customers regularly to present and discuss Shield AI product portfolio
- Attend trade shows, exhibitions, or other industry events to espouse Shield AI products
- Devise and coordinate marketing and government relations opportunities
- Build and devise the structure of industry partnerships
- Plan and execute product demonstrations
- Lead proposal response
- Develop offset strategies
Required qualifications
- Charismatic leader, with the ability to motivate and inspire others and impart excitement about Shield AI’s mission, technology, and products
- Willing to remain in or expatriate to Holland (minimum two-year overall expat assignment)
- Self-motivated and results-oriented, with demonstrated success in meeting and exceeding critical goals and deadlines
- Team oriented with the ability to communicate with an understanding of nuances associated with being collaborative while also being blunt and forthright
- Exceptional communicator: strong written, verbal, and presentation skills and the ability to communicate seamlessly at all levels of business and government
- Desire to help build the defining defense technology company of this century
- Thorough understanding and knowledge of the military operations and the acquisition process that allows you to maintain strong customer relations
- >6 Years of relevant military or prior defense industry or other international business experience
- Strong international relationships and demonstrated ability to work well across and with various cultures, customs, etc.
- Strong technical knowledge within the UAV and AI disciplines (or demonstrated desire ability to learn quickly)
- Technically competent in the myriads of systems that are required to function at the speed of business
- Bachelor’s Degree or appropriate military education
Preferred qualifications
- Proven leadership and/or operational experience within the defense segment
- Specific strategy or business development experience in Europe (focus BENELUX)
- Prior UAV or AI business development experience in a defense-related context
- Demonstrated understanding of specific Army/Navy/etc. operational scenarios and systems
- Strong research and analysis skills
- Relevant BENELUX Language Skills (e.g., Dutch, French languages)
Our international team members are employed through our Employer of Record (EOR) and receive a comprehensive international benefits package on top of base salary. For full details on compensation and benefits, please consult your talent acquisition partner.
