---
title: 'EMEA Talent Acquisition Partner (Engineering) at Shield AI'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/emea-talent-acquisition-partner-engineering-shield-ai-london-m7mjmy21xva7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-17'
---

# EMEA Talent Acquisition Partner (Engineering) at Shield AI

- **Company:** Shield AI
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-04
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai/4be8b396-8d39-4167-8855-898afc3ea49b

## Job description

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.

Job Description: We are looking for a highly strategic and execution-focused EMEA Talent Acquisition Partner to help scale some of the most critical engineering hiring within the company. This person will own full-cycle recruiting for complex software engineering functions with a particular emphasis on Autonomy, Robotics, Embedded Software, Perception, Planning, Controls, Distributed Systems, and other highly specialized technical domains supporting next-generation aerospace and autonomous systems development. This is not a traditional recruiting role. We are looking for someone who can operate as a true talent partner to engineering leadership — helping shape hiring strategy, influence workforce planning, drive prioritization discipline, and build scalable pipelines for some of the hardest-to-hire technical talent in the industry.

What you'll do: The ideal candidate thrives in high-growth, high-ambiguity environments and brings a strong track record of closing senior and niche software engineering talent while balancing speed, quality, and stakeholder partnership.

- Own full-cycle recruiting for highly specialized software engineering roles across Autonomy, Robotics, Perception, Planning, Embedded Software, Distributed Systems, Simulation, Machine Learning, Infrastructure, and related technical domains
- Build and execute proactive sourcing strategies for difficult-to-find technical talent across aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, AI/ML, and adjacent industries
- Act as a strategic advisor to leadership on market trends, talent availability, compensation competitiveness, and hiring risks
- Drive strong operational rigor across pipeline management, funnel health, data accuracy, and stakeholder communication
- Help influence workforce planning and ensure hiring activity remains aligned to approved business priorities
- Improve recruiting scalability through process improvements, documentation, interview calibration, and tooling optimization
- Deliver an exceptional candidate experience while maintaining urgency and high hiring quality standards

Required qualifications:

- 8+ years of full-cycle technical recruiting experience, including significant ownership of complex software engineering searches across the EMEA region
- Proven success recruiting Software Engineers, Autonomy Engineers, Robotics Engineers, Embedded Software Engineers, Perception Engineers, Infrastructure Engineers, Machine Learning Engineers, or similar technical talent
- Strong understanding of software engineering concepts, technical architectures, and engineering organizational structures
- Experience partnering with senior engineering leadership in fast-paced or high-growth environments
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex searches simultaneously while maintaining strong hiring outcomes
- Strong sourcing and market-mapping capabilities across highly competitive technical domains
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and operational execution skills
- Experience using ATS systems, sourcing platforms, and recruiting analytics to drive decisions and pipeline visibility
- Ability to operate strategically while remaining highly execution-oriented

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience recruiting within aerospace, defense, robotics, autonomous systems, AI/ML, automotive, or other highly technical industries
- Familiarity with autonomy stacks, robotics systems, embedded software development, distributed systems, simulation environments, or machine learning workflows
- Experience supporting hiring at scale during periods of rapid organizational growth
- Experience influencing workforce planning, prioritization, or recruiting operations

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.

###

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.

## About Shield AI

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Shield AI builds AI pilots and autonomous systems for military aircraft to protect service members and civilians.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series G, venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: San Diego, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: Brandon Tseng, Ryan Tseng, Andrew Reiter

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Defense technology, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, aerospace
- Target customers: U.S. Department of Defense, allied nations’ military forces (B2G / Government)
- Mission or purpose statement: “Protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems.”

## Products & Services
- **Hivemind**: A combat‑tested, modular autonomy stack for aircraft – self‑driving technology for drones, jets, and helicopters. Includes path‑planning, mapping, state‑estimation, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Type: Software (AI/autonomy).
- **V‑BAT**: A vertical take‑off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for persistent ISR and strike missions. Type: Hardware (drone).
- **X‑BAT**: An advanced unmanned aircraft system with extended endurance and payload capacity, built for multi‑domain operations. Type: Hardware (drone).
- **Hivemind Vision Systems**: Computer‑vision and sensor‑fusion capabilities integrated into Hivemind for GPS‑denied environments. Type: Software + sensors.
- **Hivemind Enterprise**: A deployable version of Hivemind for third‑party platforms and commercial applications. Type: Software.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company). Total funding raised: $3.6B (as of Series G in March 2026).
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$21.7M (estimated, private) | Total Funding $3.6B (including $2B Series G led by JP Morgan Chase and Advent International, March 2026).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: JP Morgan Chase, Advent International, Blackstone, Riot Ventures, SnowPoint Ventures, Disruptive (55+ investors total). Strategic partners include U.S. DoD and allied defense forces.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 68.3% YoY to 1,283 employees; 338 active job postings (+57.2% YoY); operates in 5 countries (U.S., Australia, UAE, Norway, Ukraine); recent acquisitions of Sentient Vision Systems (2024), Heron Systems, MARTIN UAV.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Combat‑proven autonomy**: Hivemind has been tested in live military operations, providing a first‑mover advantage in contested, GPS‑denied environments.
- **Full‑stack integration**: Combines software (AI pilot), hardware (V‑BAT, X‑BAT), and sensor systems, creating a tightly integrated product ecosystem.
- **Cross‑functional engineering culture**: Engineers work across AI, robotics, aerospace, and defense – not siloed – enabling rapid iteration and field deployment.
- **Top talent pipeline**: Employees drawn from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Amazon, Anduril, and other leading defense/tech firms.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale AI pilots across all domains**: Extend Hivemind from aircraft to ships, satellites, and ground vehicles (“every military asset”).
- **International expansion**: Growing presence in Australia, Europe, and Middle East via mission autonomy centers and partnerships.
- **Deepen autonomy stack**: Continued investment in reinforcement learning, simulation, and computer vision to maintain leadership in contested‑environment autonomy.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission‑driven work**: Directly contribute to protecting service members and civilians with cutting‑edge AI and robotics.
- **Cross‑functional teams**: Engineers collaborate across disciplines (AI, hardware, software, systems) on real‑world defense challenges.
- **Benefits**: Excellent medical coverage, mental health EAP, paid parental leave, pet insurance, flexible work hours, gym discounts (SD) / on‑site gym (DC), free parking, competitive compensation, 401k with match, stock benefits.
- **Work policy**: Flexible work hours; some offices (e.g., San Diego HQ, Arlington, DC) have on‑site facilities. Remote/hybrid options available depending on role.
- **Growth trajectory**: Rapidly scaling (68% headcount growth) with hundreds of open roles across engineering, operations, and program management.

## Sources
1. [shield.ai/about](https://shield.ai/about/)
2. [shield.ai/careers](https://shield.ai/careers/)
3. [LinkedIn – Shield AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/shield-ai)
4. [CBInsights – Shield AI](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/shield-ai)
5. [Lever – Shield AI Jobs](https://jobs.lever.co/shieldai)

## Other roles at Shield AI

- [Engineer I, Mechanical (R6302)](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-i-mechanical-r6302-shield-ai-seattle-75gdhfp3k8nt) — Seattle, WA
- [Engineer I, Mechanical Hardware Test](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-i-mechanical-hardware-test-shield-ai-seattle-009txzdn75eb) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior Staff Engineer, Structural Analysis - Ranger (R6300)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-engineer-structural-analysis-ranger-r6300-shield-ai-seattle-p24f55m9654f) — Seattle, WA
- [Staff Engineer, Fuel Systems - Ranger (R6299)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-fuel-systems-ranger-r6299-shield-ai-seattle-66cbvba47hb6) — Seattle, WA
- [Staff Engineer, Aircraft Configuration Design - Ranger (R6298)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-aircraft-configuration-design-ranger-r6298-shield-ai-seattle-942h4whh3a76) — Seattle, WA
- [Engineer II, Automated Test (R6288)](https://feeny.ai/job/engineer-ii-automated-test-r6288-shield-ai-san-mateo-9zrnhj6har1p) — San Mateo, CA
- [Capture Manager - XBAT - USAF (R6205)](https://feeny.ai/job/capture-manager-xbat-usaf-r6205-shield-ai-remote-wk7cq4qwzr70)
- [Manager, Infrastructure (R6154)](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-infrastructure-r6154-shield-ai-san-mateo-ak1zaxmkmbbf) — San Mateo, CA
- [Senior Director, Deal Strategy Execution (R6259)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-deal-strategy-execution-r6259-shield-ai-washington-jjc8weakxqa7) — Washington, DC
- [Staff Engineer, Modelling and Simulation (R6248)](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-modelling-and-simulation-r6248-shield-ai-san-diego-xe9yvn3mf71x) — San Diego, CA