Associate Director, Global Government Relations (EU & NATO)

RTX; Sint-Jans-Molenbeek; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Prattwhitney is seeking an Associate Director for Global Government Relations in Brussels. This strategic role focuses on influencing EU and NATO policy affecting the company’s operations. With over 21,000 employees globally, the candidate will engage with vital stakeholders to shape policies across several domains.

The ideal applicant will have extensive experience in EU policymaking, strong stakeholder management skills, and the ability to translate policy developments into business strategies. The position emphasizes strategic impact in a high-profile environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in relevant fields.
• Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes in complex environments.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the company’s EU engagement strategy.
• Build relationships with key stakeholders.
• Monitor and shape EU legislative developments.

Skills

Extensive experience in EU policymaking and advocacy

Ability to influence EU policy

Understanding of EU institutional processes

Familiarity with aerospace and defense sectors

Fluency in English and ideally French

Job description

Date Posted: 2026-05-18 • Country: Belgium • Location: Brussels, 1000

Position Summary

Associate Director, Global Government Relations, based in Brussels. The role focuses on engaging with the European Union and NATO ecosystems, influencing policy across defense, commercial aerospace, and other EU policy areas that affect a European footprint of 21,000 employees and 65 manufacturing sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and execute the company’s EU engagement strategy, building trust with external stakeholders to influence policy, regulation, and funding frameworks that impact aerospace and defense.
• Build and maintain high‑trust relationships with key stakeholders across:
  • European Commission (Cabinets, DG DEFIS, DG MOVE, DG TRADE, DG GROW, etc.)
  • European Parliament (relevant committees, rapporteurs, political groups)
  • European Council and Permanent Representations
  • NATO civilian and military staff (Innovation and Armaments Division D2IA, Conference of National Armaments Directors CNAD, NATO Industrial Advisory Group NIAG, and other civilian and military staffs)
• Monitor, analyze, and proactively shape EU legislative and regulatory developments across defense, aerospace, and cross‑cutting corporate policy domains, while tracking complementary NATO initiatives.
• Act as a strategic advisor to internal leadership, translating EU and NATO policy developments into business implications and actionable strategies.
• Support and coordinate NATO engagement efforts, ensuring coherence across transatlantic priorities and NATO defense industrial efforts.
• Identify and drive strategic opportunities linked to EU funding mechanisms (EDF, EDIP, SAFE), industrial policy, and dual‑use innovation, as well as NATO capability development and innovation platforms such as DIANA and the NATO Innovation Fund.
• Partner with business units to align policy positioning with commercial priorities, ensuring early positioning in regulatory and funding cycles.
• Represent the company in industry associations, coalitions, and high‑level forums in Brussels.
• Contribute to corporate positioning on sensitive geopolitical dynamics, including EU strategic autonomy and transatlantic industrial relations.
• Coordinate internally across global Government Relations, business units, and functional teams to ensure consistent messaging and alignment.
• Prepare high‑impact briefing materials for senior executives, including concise policy summaries, stakeholder insights, and recommended actions.
• Ensure consistency and alignment of key messages and narratives across leadership communications and external engagements.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience (+10 years) in EU policymaking and advocacy, ideally in Brussels within EU institutions, a leading aerospace/defense company or regulated industry, or a top‑tier consultancy, trade association, or public affairs firm.
• Demonstrated ability to influence EU policy and regulatory outcomes across complex, multi‑stakeholder environments.
• Deep understanding of EU institutional processes, including Commission decision‑making, Parliament dynamics, and trilogues.
• Solid understanding of principal NATO bodies and their role in European defence and interactions with the EU.
• Familiarity with aerospace and defense sectors, or a regulated industry.
• Proven capability to operate across multiple policy domains (defense, commercial aerospace, trade, sustainability, etc.).
• Established network in Brussels across institutions, industry, and policy circles.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills without formal authority.
• Fluency in English; ideally French (working level); additional EU languages are a strong advantage.

Leadership & Personal Profile

• Top‑tier government relations professional: strategic, credible, and results‑driven.
• High level of political intelligence and geopolitical awareness.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and complexity with precision.
• Strong business acumen; understands how policy translates into competitive advantage.
• Executive presence with the ability to engage at senior institutional levels.
• Collaborative, effective leader capable of working across a matrix global organization.
• High integrity, discretion, and resilience in a high‑pressure environment.

Additional Background

This is not a traditional lobbying role. It is a strategic position at the center of European policy influence, with primary emphasis on the EU and NATO priorities, directly shaping the environment in which the company competes, invests, and grows. Delivering outcomes and translating influence into tangible business impact across one of the company’s most important global regions is expected.

Equal Employment Opportunity

RTX adheres to the principles of equal employment. All qualified applications will be given careful consideration without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.