Director - People Ex - Business Partner - APJ & Middle East

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 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.

Shield AI is seeking a Director, People Experience (Px) Business Partner – APJ/ME to lead the People strategy across one of our most dynamic and strategically important global regions. This leader will support teams across Asia Pacific Japan and the Middle East, partnering with executives and managers to build the systems, capabilities, and organizational foundations needed to scale effectively across diverse markets.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this role operates as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on operator—shaping people strategy while delivering high-quality, scalable solutions. You will enable business outcomes by translating global priorities into practical, repeatable, and regionally aligned people processes that support high performance, engagement, and growth.

How this role strategically impacts Shield AI:
APJ & ME represents a complex and rapidly evolving landscape for defense technology and sovereign capability. Scaling effectively across this region requires thoughtful workforce planning, consistent people systems, strong leadership capability, and a deep understanding of local nuance. This role plays a critical part in building and sustaining a high-performing, inclusive culture while ensuring leaders and teams have the tools, resources, and frameworks to operate effectively.

What you’ll do:

Regional People Strategy & Execution
• Lead and execute the People strategy across APJ & ME, aligning global priorities with regional business needs.
• Partner with leaders to support organizational design, workforce planning, and team effectiveness.
• Translate business challenges into practical, actionable people solutions that drive operational and strategic outcomes.

Balancing Strategy with Hands-On Execution
• Operate fluidly between strategic advising and hands-on implementation.
• In partnership with Px COEs, build and deploy scalable and repeatable people processes across diverse markets.
• Bring clarity and structure to ambiguity, simplifying complex organizational or operational challenges.

Scaling for Growth
• Support regional expansion, new market entry, and evolving operating models.
• Ensure people programs are consistent, efficient, and adaptable across countries.
• Identify and implement opportunities that improve operational efficiency and scalability.

Talent, Performance & Organizational Effectiveness
• Partner across Px to deliver integrated talent solutions spanning performance, development, rewards, and engagement.
• Support leaders in building high-performing, accountable teams.
• Use data and insights to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, translating them into action.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with global Px teams (COEs, Operations, Talent, Rewards) to ensure effective program delivery.
• Bridge global strategy and regional execution, ensuring solutions are both aligned and locally relevant.
• Provide regional insights to help shape global program design and continuous improvement.

Culture & Employee Experience
• Shape and sustain a high-performance, inclusive culture across the region.
• Coach leaders to create environments where employees grow and deliver their best work.
• Drive scalable initiatives that meaningfully enhance the employee experience.

Required qualifications:
• 12+ years of broad professional HR experience in a high-growth company, preferably in the technology industry; public sector experience is a plus.
• Experience delivering people solutions for global or international companies.
• Proven track record partnering with and influencing senior executives in high-growth technology environments.
• Experience operating within a global People Experience organization with COEs, Shared Services, and multi-region teams.
• Proficiency using HCM technology, point-solution applications, and advanced analytics to drive insights, productivity, and improved employee and manager experience.

Preferred qualifications:
• Strong analytical capability and experience using data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities and translate them into action.

Location & Work Model
This role is based in Melbourne. In-office presence is expected, aligned with the working norms of the teams supported.

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.

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, colour, 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.