Director, AI

Job Description:

At Skapa by Saab, you’ll be part of a passionate team of innovators helping to create the future of defense tech. We are seeking a results-driven Director of Artificial Intelligence to lead our AI strategy and execute on our AI product roadmap. This role will focus on understanding the voice of the customer, product innovation, software and hardware integration and program execution across a portfolio of national security-focused software products, and expanding Skapa’s impact across Saab, Inc. This role blends cutting-edge technical leadership with strategic business development responsibilities, helping drive adoption of our existing SaaS computer vision platform while spearheading the creation of a new multi-domain awareness solution covering maritime, air, and land environments. The Director will lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of product-focused engineers and technical program managers ensuring alignment between mission needs, technical innovation, and market delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Guide the team through research, prototyping, and operational deployment for both existing and new product lines, in alignment with Skapa and Saab, Inc.’s strategy.

• Build and maintain a world-class AI engineering and product team, fostering a culture of innovation and delivery.

• Communicate with our defense customers (wearing both mission-first and technical hats)

Product Development

• Direct the architecture, design, and implementation of a multi-domain awareness platform integrating maritime, air, and land intelligence data.

• Ensure AI algorithms meet high standards for accuracy, explainability, robustness, and real-time performance in operational environments.

• Oversee integration of multi-modal sensor data, geospatial analytics, and decision-support features into the new platform.

• Oversee and manage cloud usage, hardware purchasing and new software acquisition for R&D and customer-facing products

Business Development & Customer Engagement

• Partner with business development teams to position and sell our SaaS computer vision platform to DoD and allied customers.

• Engage directly with senior government stakeholders to understand mission requirements and translate them into product features.

• Represent the company’s AI capabilities at industry events, customer demonstrations, and proposal efforts, including technical volumes.

Operational Excellence

• Oversee AI model lifecycle management including data acquisition, labeling, training, validation, deployment, and monitoring.

• Ensure compliance with DoD AI ethics guidelines, security requirements, and export controls.

• Establish metrics and KPIs for AI performance, mission impact, and customer satisfaction.

Responsibilities Include:

• Supervise a multi-disciplined team of research and development engineers

• Engage with customers to ensure project cost, schedule and technical requirements are met.

• Ensure effective and efficient implementation of metrics and tools to proactively manage the engineering content of programs.

• Engage with product vendors & colleagues as required to ensure product integrity. Identify opportunities for product improvements that improve overall program affordability, as well as opportunities in adjacent market spaces.

• Project planning including staffing, cost account management, risk management and proposal development.

• Socialize key milestones with industry, academia, and government through conference presentations, technical paper publications, and media relations.

• Develop cost estimates and support proposal efforts.

• Support Strategic Planning and Engineering reviews.

Compensation Range: $231,200 - 312,100

The compensation range provided is a general guideline. When extending an offer, Saab, Inc. considers factors including (but not limited to) the role and associated responsibilities, location, and market and business considerations, as well as the candidate's work experience, key skills, and education/training.

Skills and Experience:

Required Skills and Experience:

• BS Degree in a computer science, mathematics, physics, or related engineering discipline with 15+ years of experience OR MS Degree in computer science, information systems, mathematics, physics, or related engineering discipline with 10+ years of experience

• Must possess an active TS/SCI security clearance for consideration