Director of Government Relations, Asia (R4185)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With nine offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Job Description:
The Director of Government Relations, Asia will lead Shield AI’s government engagement, policy advocacy, and regional strategy across Asia. This leader will drive initiatives to secure favorable regulatory conditions, establish strategic partnerships, and promote Shield AI’s technologies and mission across multiple governments and institutions.

The ideal candidate is someone with deep experience in defense technology, policy, and advocacy. They will have a proven track record engaging with Asian governments, working alongside business development teams, and influencing outcomes at the highest levels of government and industry.

What you'll do::
Government Engagement & Advocacy: Develop and execute Shield AI’s Asia-Pacific government relations strategy, with a focus on defense, export controls, and emerging technology policy. Build and sustain trusted relationships with defense, security, and regulatory officials across the U.S. and Asian partner nations. Advocate for favorable policies and regulations enabling Shield AI’s VBAT, Hivemind, and future aircraft capabilities and product lines to operate and scale across the region. Secure appropriations, co-development funding, and other forms of support that advance Shield AI’s programs and objectives. Establish and grow Shield AI’s credibility and influence across Asia, ensuring continuous access and trust with key decision-makers. Strategic Collaboration with Business Development: Partner closely with Business Development and Program Capture teams to align advocacy with business objectives and opportunity pipelines. Provide political, regulatory, and policy guidance to support pursuits and negotiations in complex, high-value defense programs. Enable multi-stakeholder cooperation among governments and industry partners to accelerate technology adoption. Thought Leadership & Representation: Represent Shield AI at regional defense, aerospace, and AI autonomy forums, as well as conferences, summits, and multilateral discussions. Engage proactively with think tanks, research institutions, and academia to position Shield AI as a leading voice on defense autonomy, AI policy, and ethical innovation. Build the company’s reputation as a trusted partner and thought leader across Asia’s defense and technology circles. Policy, Regulatory, and Regional Insight: Monitor and analyze evolving regional regulations, export controls, procurement frameworks, and defense policies impacting autonomy and unmanned systems. Anticipate and mitigate policy and regulatory risks across regional markets. Influence the broader policy environment to promote autonomy within the defense ecosystem. Drive measurable progress toward favorable regulatory outcomes and program-level opportunities.

Required qualifications::
10–15 years of experience in government relations, defense policy, or advocacy, ideally within defense technology, aerospace, or AI autonomy sectors. Proven success engaging with Asian governments and defense ministries, including experience in lobbying, intergovernmental coordination, or strategic advocacy. Strong understanding of the Asia-Pacific security landscape, regional defense priorities, and the intersection of policy and technology. Demonstrated ability to work in partnership with business development and capture teams on complex programs. Exceptional communication, diplomacy, and negotiation skills with credibility at senior levels of government and industry. Strategic thinker with operational execution skills and comfort working autonomously in dynamic, cross-cultural environments. Willingness and ability to travel extensively across the region and to the United States as required.

Preferred qualifications::
Possess or eligible for U.S. security clearance Fluent in Mandarin Chinese (reading and speaking). Additional regional language skills a plus.

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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.

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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.