The International Business Development Manager will be responsible for building Shield AI’s business opportunities in Africa, primarily focused on orders execution and growth. He/she will be responsible for engaging with customers, attending events, and product demonstrations. This person will operate on a small team with a demanding work and travel schedule 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.
What you'll do:
- Engage with customers regularly to present and discuss Shield AI products
- 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
- Work cross-functionally to provide responses to or address customers needs
- Lead proposal response
- Develop offset strategies
- Manage team budget
Required qualifications:
- Willing to expatriate to Africa (minimum two-year overall expat assignment)
- Exceptional communicator: strong written, verbal, and presentation skills and the ability to communicate seamlessly at all levels of business and government
- Charismatic leader, with the ability to motivate and inspire others and impart excitement about Shield AI’s mission, technology, and products
- 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
- >5 Years of relevant military or prior defense industry or other international business experience
- Self-motivated and results-oriented, with demonstrated success in meeting and exceeding critical goals and deadlines
- Strong international relationships and demonstrated ability to work well across and with various cultures, customs, etc.
- Strong technical knowledge within the UAV and/or AI disciplines (or demonstrated desire ability to learn quickly)
- Willing and able to travel domestically and internationally, frequently and without restriction, including customer sites
- Team oriented with the ability to communicate with a understanding of nuances associated with being collaborative while also being blunt and forthright
- Technically competent in the myriad of systems that are required to function at the speed of business
- Bachelor’s Degree
Preferred qualifications:
- Specific strategy or business development experience in regions outside of the Americas
- Prior UAV or AI business development experience in a defense-related context
- MBA or related Master’s degree in a related field, and 6+ years of leadership and/or operational experience within the DoD or international equivalents (e.g., MoD)
- Demonstrated understanding of specific Army/Navy/etc. operational scenarios and systems
- Strong research and analysis skills
- Relevant Foreign Language Skills (e.g., European languages)
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