# Senior Staff Technical Program Manager

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Melbourne, Australia
**Role:** Technical Program Management
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** Program Management, Project Management, Earned Value Management, Critical Path Analysis, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Vena, Salesforce, Asdefcon, Autonomy Development, Flight Testing, Airworthiness Certification, PMP, Certified Scrummaster, Csm, Contract Management
**Posted:** 2026-08-08

> Leads complex autonomy and engineering programs from concept through field testing and deployment, coordinating defense customers, suppliers, and technical teams. Requires substantial technical program management experience, Australian Defence Force exposure, project financial expertise, and cross-functional delivery leadership.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Lead and deliver end-to-end technical program management, leveraging industry knowledge to shape and define program and organizational objectives.
- Oversee the full program lifecycle—from initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure—ensuring exceptional outcomes.
- Fulfill contractual and customer deliverables with precision, timeliness, and clarity.
- Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government, defense, suppliers, and technical teams.
- Operate with sensitivity to cultural, political, and military dynamics across domestic and international partnerships.
- Conduct critical path analysis, manage earned value tracking, and report on program health metrics.
- Proactively identify and mitigate risks and blockers.
- Lead organized, efficient meetings with clear actions and follow-up.
- Support business development efforts, including EOIs, RFTs, RFIs, proposals, and unsolicited submissions.

## Requirements
- Significant experience as a technical project or program manager in complex engineering or technology domains.
- Proven track record of delivering complex, cross-functional projects aligned with long-term business strategy.
- Experience managing 0-to-1 product development cycles.
- Strong commercial understanding of project financials, including earned value management, estimates at completion, and contract data requirements.
- Proficiency with project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Vena, and Salesforce.
- Experience working with or within the Australian Defence Force.
- Outstanding communication, leadership, organizational, and influencing skills.
- Proactive, dependable, and collaborative mindset.

## Nice-to-haves
- Experience with software or autonomy development programs.
- Familiarity with the ASDEFCON or equivalent contracting suite.
- Exposure to multinational teams, flight test campaigns, or airworthiness certification.
- PMP or Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) accreditation.
- Experience working on or managing international defense-related projects.

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