Director of Contingent Workforce Programs

Shield AI•San Diego, CA

4d•$174,000 - $300,000

About The Position

Shield AI is seeking a Director of Contingent Workforce Programs to lead the strategy, governance, operations, and continuous improvement of its contingent workforce program, supporting agency workers, independent contractors, and statement-of-work (SOW) engagements. The director will assess business needs, set program priorities, recommend decisions, and drive execution across functions. The role will build and improve processes, controls, and partnerships to support an effective, scalable program, working closely with business leaders, People Experience (PX), employer-of-record vendors, Legal, Finance, IT, and Security to improve performance, manage risk, strengthen supplier accountability, and provide a consistent stakeholder experience. This is a hands-on role combining program direction with operational execution. It may supervise one employee responsible for program coordination and administration. Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-technology company focused on 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. The company has offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, and its technology supports operations worldwide. The position offers a listed salary range of $174,000–$300,000 annually. Seattle and San Mateo locations have a range of $205,000–$300,000; all other locations have a range of $174,000–$260,000. The full-time regular employee offer package includes pay within the listed range, a bonus, benefits, and equity. Compensation depends on factors including skills, experience, licenses and certifications, and work location. Offers are contingent on a cleared background check and possibly a reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits.

Requirements

12+ years of relevant experience in contingent workforce management, workforce programs, HR/PX operations, procurement, or supplier management, including direct ownership of a contingent workforce program.
Demonstrated experience building, scaling, or transforming an enterprise contingent workforce program, with measurable improvements in operations, governance, supplier performance, or cost.
Experience independently leading complex, cross-functional initiatives from problem definition through implementation and ongoing improvement.
Strong working knowledge of agency worker, independent contractor, and SOW engagement models.
Experience establishing program governance, processes, controls, service standards, and performance measures.
Experience managing suppliers and resolving complex operational or stakeholder issues.
Ability to analyze workforce, supplier, or spend data and turn findings into actionable recommendations.
Strong communication and influencing skills, including the ability to advise leaders and drive accountability across teams.
Ability to work independently with broad direction, navigate ambiguity, and balance strategic priorities with hands-on execution.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting contingent workforce programs across multiple countries or business units.
Previous people-management or team-leadership experience.
Experience with vendor management systems (VMS), managed service provider (MSP) models, and HR, procurement, or workforce analytics platforms.
Experience with supplier negotiations, rate management, and workforce cost optimization.
Experience in a high-growth, technical, engineering, aerospace, defense, or manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

Own the contingent workforce program strategy, operating model, and roadmap; assess gaps, recommend solutions, and drive improvements.
Establish program policies, processes, decision rights, approval requirements, and service expectations with cross-functional partners.
Lead program changes from planning through implementation, communications, training, and adoption.
Oversee the engagement lifecycle, from intake and review through onboarding, extensions, and offboarding.
Monitor service performance, resolve bottlenecks, and lead resolution of complex or sensitive issues.
Address recurring problems and develop practical guidance to improve execution and the manager experience.
Partner with business leaders and Finance on workforce needs, engagement options, and budget considerations.
Serve as the program subject-matter expert and coordinate classification reviews with Legal, PX, and Procurement.
Align stakeholders, drive accountability, and present program performance, risks, and recommendations to leadership.
Own supplier relationships and performance, including scorecards, reviews, and corrective actions.
Partner with business leaders and other stakeholders on supplier strategy, selection, contracts, rates, and cost optimization.
Maintain program controls with Legal, PX, Procurement, and Security, ensuring required reviews, approvals, documentation, and exceptions are managed.
Define metrics and reporting to monitor workforce population, spend, supplier performance, service levels, and risk.
Use data to guide improvements and partner with vendors to strengthen workflows, data quality, and supporting systems.
Potentially supervise one employee responsible for program coordination and administration.