# Senior Staff Technical Program Manager

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** Washington, DC
**Role:** Technical Program Management
**Salary:** $170k – $260k/yr
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** Technical Program Management, Software Development Lifecycle, Project Planning, Risk Management, Roadmap Development, Stakeholder Management, Executive Communication, Proposal Development, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Program Execution
**Posted:** 2026-06-24

> Lead technical program management for Hivemind Catalyst customer programs, driving execution, roadmap alignment, and customer strategy at the intersection of technology and business development. Requires 5+ years TPM experience and a technical bachelor's degree.

## Job Description

## Program Leadership and Execution
- Lead technical program management activities for Hivemind customer programs.
- Develop technical execution plans that drive technology maturation and successful customer outcomes.
- Establish clear milestones, entry criteria, exit criteria, and measurable success metrics across programs.
- Manage program cost, schedule, scope, risk, dependencies, and resource allocation.
- Track customer spending against contractual budgets and program commitments.
- Identify risks early and drive mitigation strategies that reduce technical, schedule, and business uncertainty.
- Hold internal and external stakeholders accountable to commitments while maintaining strong customer relationships.

## Software and Roadmap Alignment
- Embed closely within Hivemind Enterprise teams to ensure customer needs are accurately represented in product and engineering priorities.
- Drive closed-loop communication between customers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders.
- Support software release planning, roadmap development, prioritization, and resource allocation decisions.
- Ensure technical investments align with strategic priorities, revenue opportunities, and customer outcomes.
- Advocate for the capabilities that create the greatest impact for customers and the business.

## Customer Strategy and Technical Planning
- Review and assess Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimates, Statements of Work (SOWs), proposals, bids, and customer engagements across domestic and international markets.
- Develop pricing recommendations, high-level technical decompositions, project plans, and execution strategies.
- Partner with customers to define technical roadmaps that accelerate the development, deployment, and operationalization of sovereign autonomy capabilities.
- Help customers establish practical paths from prototype to production and mission-ready deployment.
- Support business development, capture, and growth initiatives through technical planning, proposal development, and customer engagement.

## Internal Strategic Execution
- Own and maintain technical execution roadmaps across internal Catalyst priorities.
- Create structure, prioritization frameworks, and execution plans for internal research and development efforts.
- Drive alignment across multiple technical roadmaps and identify interdependencies, conflicts, and resource constraints.
- Monitor program health, track progress against objectives, and facilitate data-driven decision making.
- Support organizational OKRs and key performance metrics through disciplined execution and reporting.

## Executive Communication and Stakeholder Management
- Develop executive-level communications, briefings, summaries, and decision materials for internal and external stakeholders.
- Support Monthly Portfolio Reviews, Executive Steering Committees, Quarterly Business Reviews, Board Reviews, and other strategic forums.
- Communicate effectively with senior engineering, business, government, and international stakeholders.
- Drive alignment across technical, operational, financial, and strategic priorities.

## Strategic Initiatives
- Lead and support high-impact strategic initiatives that enable company growth and global expansion.
- Partner across engineering, legal, compliance, finance, facilities, business development, and operations teams to solve complex cross-functional challenges.
- Contribute to international expansion efforts, including establishment of new offices, partnerships, and operating models.

## Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in Technical Program Management within a fast-paced technology organization.
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional technical programs involving software, systems, and external stakeholders.
- Experience developing project plans, execution roadmaps, schedules, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, release planning, and technical product roadmaps.
- Experience supporting customer-facing programs, proposals, SOW development, or technical business development activities.
- Demonstrated ability to drive clarity, alignment, and execution in ambiguous environments.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level communications.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make informed decisions using incomplete information.
- Ability to work effectively across engineering, product, business development, finance, and operations organizations.
- Willingness to travel up to 25%, including domestic and international travel.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in autonomy, robotics, aerospace, defense technology, aviation, or complex software platforms.
- Experience supporting international customers, partners, or technology programs.
- Experience developing technical proposals, ROMs, pricing strategies, or capture plans.
- Familiarity with government, defense, or national security acquisition environments.
- Experience managing programs involving multiple stakeholders across technical and business domains.
- MBA, Master's degree, or advanced technical degree.

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