Shield AI

Staff Technical Program Manager (R6183)

Shield AI • $150K — $230K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of project or program management experience, with 5+ years leading complex technology programs.
  • Proven track record of delivering large-scale enterprise technology programs through go-live and stabilization.
  • Strong technical fluency in enterprise architecture, integrations, data migration, and security controls.
  • Experience in program governance and presenting to executive stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated vendor and systems integrator management skills, including SOW oversight.
  • Ability to lead through influence across diverse teams without direct authority.
  • Exceptional communication skills with a strong executive presence.

Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end delivery of large, multi-workstream technology programs.
  • Define program structure, roadmap, and delivery strategy in collaboration with leadership.
  • Lead and coordinate multiple project managers and vendor teams under a unified program plan.
  • Drive technical delivery conversations and challenge technical plans when necessary.
  • Establish and run program governance, including executive reporting and decision forums.
  • Manage program-level risk and proactively identify systemic risks and resource conflicts.
  • Lead vendor management, including performance oversight and milestone acceptance.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health benefits package.
  • Bonus opportunities based on performance.
  • Equity options available.
  • Flexible work arrangements.
  • Professional development and training opportunities.
Full Job Description
Job Description:

The Staff Technical Program Manager - Enterprise Technology & Systems Delivery is a senior program leader within the PMO who owns complex, multi-project technology programs and enterprise transformation initiatives from strategy through delivery and sustained adoption. This role goes beyond managing schedules. It shapes how programs are structured, governed, and resourced, and it is accountable for program outcomes, not just execution.

The role requires enough technical depth to challenge assumptions, pressure-test architecture and integration approaches, identify delivery risks before technical teams do, and hold engineering, vendors, and systems integrators accountable. While not the solution architect, this person is expected to be a credible technical peer to engineering and IT leaders. Success is defined by predictable delivery of high-impact programs, executive confidence, strong cross-functional alignment, and raising the PMO's overall delivery maturity.

What you'll do:

  • Own end-to-end delivery of large, multi-workstream technology programs, including enterprise platform implementations, ERP and business system rollouts, cloud and infrastructure migrations, identity and security programs, and system integrations.
  • Define program structure, roadmap, phasing, and delivery strategy in partnership with business and technology leadership, including shaping scope and sequencing before execution begins.
  • Lead and coordinate multiple project managers, workstream leads, and vendor teams under a single integrated program plan.
  • Drive technical delivery conversations across architecture, integrations, data migration, environments, security, testing, and cutover, and challenge technical plans and estimates when risks aren't adequately addressed.
  • Establish and run program governance, including steering committees, executive reporting, decision forums, and escalation paths, and present directly to senior leadership.
  • Own program-level risk management and proactively identify systemic risks, cross-program dependencies, and resource conflicts across the portfolio.
  • Manage program budgets, forecasts, and resource plans, and own variance explanations and tradeoff recommendations.
  • Lead vendor and systems integrator management, including SOW scoping, performance management, milestone acceptance, and escalation of delivery gaps.
  • Own go-live readiness decisions, including readiness criteria, cutover strategy, rollback planning, and hypercare exit.
  • Partner with OCM to ensure change, communications, training, and adoption are built into program plans from the start.
  • Define and improve PMO standards, templates, tooling, and delivery practices, and raise the bar for program management across the organization.
  • Mentor and coach IC2/IC3 project managers and act as a senior escalation point for delivery challenges.
  • Translate complex technical status into clear, decision-oriented narratives for executives.


Required qualifications:

  • 8+ years of project or program management experience, including 5+ years leading complex technology programs with multiple workstreams and cross-functional teams.
  • Proven track record of delivering large-scale enterprise technology programs (e.g., ERP, cloud migration, identity/security, platform consolidation, or major system integrations) through go-live and stabilization.
  • Strong technical fluency across enterprise architecture, integrations and APIs, data migration, infrastructure and cloud, security controls, and SDLC/testing practices, with enough depth to challenge technical teams and vendors credibly.
  • Experience owning program governance and presenting directly to executive stakeholders and steering committees.
  • Demonstrated experience managing vendors and systems integrators, including SOW oversight and delivery accountability.
  • Experience managing program budgets, forecasts, and resource plans.
  • Ability to lead through influence across engineering, IT, business, and vendor organizations without direct authority.
  • Exceptional communication and executive presence, with the ability to simplify complexity and drive decisions.
  • PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification is a plus.


Preferred qualifications:

  • Experience delivering technology programs in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated environments, including familiarity with compliance and security frameworks such as CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR, DFARS, or FedRAMP, and how they affect program scope, timelines, and system design.
  • Experience building or maturing PMO practices, standards, or tooling.
  • Experience leading programs across IT, Enterprise Operations, and Cybersecurity simultaneously.
  • Background as an engineer, solutions architect, systems administrator, or technical lead before moving into program management.
  • Familiarity with Agile at scale, hybrid delivery models, and tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, or ServiceNow SPM.
  • Experience partnering with OCM functions on enterprise adoption.


$150,000 - $230,000 a year

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Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

About Shield AI

Shield AI is a defense technology company that develops artificially intelligent systems for military applications. The company was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, and Andrew Reiter, and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Shield AI's products include autonomous drones and software that can be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other military operations. The company's mission is to reduce the number of military casualties by providing soldiers with better intelligence and situational awareness. Shield AI has received funding from a number of investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.
Learn more about Shield AI
Size
200 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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