Director, People Operations (R5390)

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 Director of People Operations to lead and evolve our People Operations function as we continue to scale. In this role, you'll shape how we deliver an exceptional employee experience by building efficient, technology-enabled, and AI-powered processes that support every stage of the employee lifecycle. You'll balance strategic transformation with hands-on operational leadership, partnering closely with HR, Payroll, Finance, IT, Legal, and business leaders to create a high-performing, scalable People organization that enables our employees—and our business—to thrive.

What you'll do:: Strategic Leadership & Team Management Define and execute a unified People Operations vision, operating model, and multi-year roadmap spanning candidate interviewing, hiring, employee onboarding and employee lifecycle operations. Lead day-to-day operations, ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery across the employee lifecycle. Lead and scale a rapidly growing People Operations function through direct leadership, with full accountability for team performance, service quality, and outcomes across the candidate and employee lifecycle. Establish team structure, capacity planning, KPIs, and operating rhythms to support hiring velocity, onboarding effectiveness, and ongoing operational excellence. Serve as a strategic advisor to executives on workforce operations, hiring experience, service delivery, and AI enablement. Service Delivery & AI Enablement Transform People Operations into a self-service-first, AI-enabled support model. Design and implement service delivery architecture, including automation, case management, and digital support channels to support rapid company scaling and global expansion. Lead enterprise knowledge management to enable self-service and improve consistency and AI effectiveness. Own and drive service performance, including SLAs, response times, quality, and employee satisfaction. Establish governance for AI-enabled execution and support, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and appropriate escalation. Continuously improve services through analytics, feedback, and process optimization. Select and manage external vendors and platforms specific People Operations. Operational Excellence & Process Design Own end-to-end workforce lifecycle processes, from interview coordination and candidate logistics through onboarding, employee changes, and offboarding. Ensure seamless handoffs between recruiting and employee operations to deliver a cohesive, high-quality experience. Lead process redesign initiatives to improve hiring efficien