Sr Director, Simulation - International

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and 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 senior sales leader to lead and scale the International Aechelon sales organization. This leader will be responsible for integrating Aechelon into Shield AI’s broader go-to-market strategy, accelerating revenue growth, and building a unified, high-performing sales motion across simulation, visualization, and autonomy solutions. 

This role is both transformational and operational—requiring a leader who can stabilize and scale an acquired business, align teams to a common vision, and unlock cross-sell opportunities across Shield AI’s portfolio. 

Partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Customer Engagement, and Hivemind sales leadership, you will ensure that Aechelon’s offerings are effectively positioned within Shield Ais ecosystem aligned to mission-critical customer outcomes. 

   

·       Lead and develop the Aechelon International sales team; establish a high-performance culture, clear accountability, and strong coaching discipline 

·       Drive post-acquisition integration of people, processes, systems, and GTM strategy into Shield AI 

·       Assess and upgrade talent, roles, and coverage to align with growth objectives 

·       Own the International GTM plan for Aechelon (segmentation, ICP, account strategy, pipeline generation, positioning) 

·       Identify and execute cross-sell and bundling opportunities across Aechelon, Hivemind, and broader Shield AI offerings 

·       Expand footprint across defense, government, and enterprise simulation/training markets 

·       Establish operating rigor (forecasting, deal reviews, MBRs/QBRs, dashboards, KPIs/OKRs) 

·       Improve pipeline quality, deal velocity, and forecast accuracy 

·       Standardize sales processes (qualification, CRM hygiene, deal stages, governance) across the integrated team 

·       Personally lead key pursuits and executive-level engagements in complex, multi-stakeholder deals 

·       Build deep relationships with defense agencies, primes, and enterprise customers 

·       Position Aechelon as a critical component of mission-ready simulation and operational environments 

·       Expand relationships with Large Systems Integrators (LSIs), primes, and strategic partners 

·       Enable partner-led growth in simulation, training, and visualization programs 

·       Align partner strategy with Shield AI’s broader autonomy and platform roadmap 

·       Partner with Product and Engineering to inform roadmap based on customer needs and market signals 

·       Align Marketing and Customer Engagement to drive demand generation and customer success 

·       Serve as a key voice in shaping Shield AI’s integrated platform GTM strategy   

·       Successful integration of Aechelon sales team into Shield AI operating model, systems, and culture 

·       Improved forecast accuracy, pipeline hygiene, and operating cadence 

·       Increased win rates and deal velocity through standardized, repeatable sales motions 

·       Measurable growth in Aechelon standalone revenue and cross-sell revenue with Shield AI products 

·       Clear territory, coverage, and account strategy 

·       Strong leadership bench with defined structure enabling second-line scalability 

·       15+ years of B2B sales experience in technically complex domains (simulation, visualization, AI/ML, autonomy, SaaS, aerospace/defense, or similar)  

·       5+ years of senior sales leadership, including leading through transformation, integration, or scaling phases  

·       Proven success integrating or scaling acquired sales teams and driving consistent revenue growth  

·       Strong technical credibility with engineering, product, and operational stakeholders  

·       Deep understanding of GTM fundamentals (segmentation, coverage, pipeline strategy, positioning)  

·       Demonstrated ability to sell complex, multi-product/platform solutions  

·       Excellent executive communication and cross-functional leadership  

·       Bachelor’s degree required 

·       Experience in modeling & simulation, synthetic environments, or visualization platforms  

·       Experience selling into defense, government, aerospace, or mission-critical enterprise environments  

·       Experience working with Large Systems Integrators (LSIs), primes, and partner ecosystems  

·       Familiarity with autonomy, training systems, or digital battlefield environments  

·       Experience driving post-M&A integration and GTM unification