Sr. Program Manager - People Experience (R5452)

Washington, DC

People Experience Division – People Experience / Full Time Employee / On-site

Founded in 2015, 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 and V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft. 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.

We are seeking a Senior PX Program Manager to drive the successful delivery, adoption, and continuous improvement of high-impact people initiatives across the organization. In this role, you will partner closely with PX leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to plan, coordinate, and execute complex programs that enhance organizational effectiveness, elevate the employee experience, and align with business priorities.

The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in program and project management, change management, and stakeholder engagement. You have a proven track record of driving execution in fast-paced, dynamic environments and can effectively translate strategy into action. You will play a key role in enabling PX functional leaders by developing deployment strategies, managing end-to-end project plans, driving cross-functional alignment, and ensuring organizational readiness, adoption, and long-term sustainability.

This is a full-time opportunity to advance critical PX initiatives, strengthen operational rigor, and build scalable processes that support continued organizational growth.

What You Will Do

Program Delivery & Execution

Lead the planning, coordination, execution, and ongoing management of complex PX initiatives and cross-functional programs.
Define program scope, objectives, milestones, timelines, risks, dependencies, and success measures with PX leaders.
Maintain integrated program plans and operating rhythms, monitoring progress and managing risks and issues.
Identify and implement process improvements during project execution where there are opportunities to increase clarity, speed, or quality.

Change Management & Adoption

Design and implement change management strategies that drive successful adoption, sustainability, and leader effectiveness.
Assess organizational impacts and readiness, and develop communication and engagement plans that support awareness and adoption.
Partner with leaders and subject matter experts to facilitate change and minimize disruption.
Track adoption and effectiveness and integrate lessons learned into future initiatives.

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

Build strong, trust-based relationships across PX functions and business teams.
Facilitate stakeholder alignment, decision-making, and issue resolution across multiple workstreams.
Coordinate cross-functional efforts to ensure cohesive program delivery and integration.
Provide clear, concise, executive-ready communications on program status, risks, outcomes, and recommendations.

Governance, Reporting, and Program Development

Establish governance models, operating rhythms, and reporting mechanisms for strategic PX programs.
Develop dashboards, status reports, and executive updates that clearly convey health and progress.
Maintain key artifacts, including action plans, decision logs, and risk registers.
Optimize PX structures, standards, and workflows where there are opportunities to build more scalable, repeatable approaches.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree - preferably in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or equivalent experience.
8+ years of experience leading complex programs, transformation initiatives, or organizational change efforts in an HR, PX, or related environment.
Demonstrated experience managing enterprise-wide, cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders in high-growth or similarly complex environments.
Strong program and project management skills, including planning, governance, risk management, and execution across multiple workstreams.
Hands-on experience developing and implementing change management strategies, including stakeholder analysis, communications, training, and reinforcement plans.
Experience working directly with PX/HR/People teams on initiatives such as performance management, talent development, PX systems, or employee experience programs.
Ability to use quantitative and qualitative data (e.g., survey results, adoption metrics, KPIs) to inform program design, decision-making, and iteration.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and drive outcomes without direct authority.
Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities, with a track record of bringing structure and operating rigor to ambiguous environments.
Demonstrated ability to build program frameworks, playbooks, or toolkits that scale PX initiatives across multiple teams or locations.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in high-growth technology, aerospace, defense, or similarly complex environments.
Formal training or certification in program and/or change management (e.g., PMP, Prosci, Agile-related credentials).
Experience implementing or optimizing PX/HR systems and tools (e.g., HRIS, performance management, engagement or survey platforms).

$140,000 - $212,000 a year

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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.

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.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

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