Business Development Manager – Nordics

About the role

Shield AI is seeking a senior Business Development Manager to lead strategic sales, customer engagement, and capture efforts for its X‑BAT initiatives across the Nordics. You will drive adoption of next‑generation autonomous air combat solutions with top‑tier defense stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

• Identify, shape, and capture high‑value opportunities in European next‑gen airpower programs.
• Own the full sales pipeline for X‑BAT, from engagement through proposal, negotiation and contract award.
• Build trusted relationships with ministries of defence, defence primes, integrators and NATO‑related bodies.
• Influence customer requirements and future CONOPS to align with Shield AI’s offerings.
• Lead participation in regional flight demos, technical trials and program pilots.
• Collaborate with engineering, product, legal and program teams to align solutions with customer needs.
• Provide field intelligence to guide product roadmap for Hivemind‑enabled CCA solutions.

Required profile

• 15+ years in a relevant air force occupation with deep understanding of CONOPS and platform applications.
• 8–10+ years in defence acquisition, business development or sales, preferably focused on air platforms or autonomy.
• Proven track record of capturing and closing defence programmes with European ministries or multinational frameworks.
• Knowledge of next‑gen air combat trends such as CCAs, MUM‑T and AI‑enabled CONOPS.
• Familiarity with European defence programmes (e.g., FCAS/SCAF, Tempest/GCAP, Eurodrone) and acquisition pathways.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Europe (≈30%).