Government Relations Manager

Obvio; College Park (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Early-stage equity

Impactful work in safety

Job summary

Obvio is seeking a Government Relations Manager to drive state and local legislative efforts from Maryland and surrounding regions. You'll work with the Head of Government Relations to turn strategy into tangible results while traveling to target states as needed.

This hands-on role emphasizes execution, campaign coordination, stakeholder engagement, and policy research to expand Obvio's footprint while improving road safety.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years in state or local government relations or public affairs.
• Experience supporting or executing a state/local legislative campaign.
• Solid understanding of how state legislatures and local government operate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for officials and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support and execute state and county-level campaigns across multiple states.
• Track legislative and regulatory developments and flag risks to leadership.
• Build and maintain relationships with local officials, staffers, and coalitions.
• Draft materials for GR communications and meetings with officials.
• Represent Obvio at city council meetings, county hearings, and stakeholder events.
• Coordinate with local lobbyists and consultants during active sessions.
• Maintain tracking of bill status, contacts, and campaign timelines.

Skills

State and local government relations

Campaign management

Policy tracking

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

Job description

About Obvio AI

Each year, more than 40,000 people in the U.S. leave home and never make it back due to traffic crashes. At Obvio, we believe these deaths are preventable. We deploy solar-powered, AI-assisted cameras to enforce traffic laws where pedestrians are most vulnerable, automating enforcement in ways that traditional systems cannot. Our approach has already led to a 50% reduction in reckless driving in early partner cities.

Founded by the team behind Motive's AI dashcam and backed by Bain Capital Ventures and Khosla Ventures, we are building the intelligence layer for safer streets globally.

About The Role

We're looking for a Government Relations Manager to support Obvio's state and local legislative and regulatory efforts. To date, Obvio's founders have helped pass bills in the states of Maryland and Virginia, opening the door to operate in select counties. As we expand into new states and cities, you'll be on the ground executing the campaigns, relationships, and research that make that expansion possible — working closely with our Head of Government Relations to turn strategy into results.

This is a hands-on, execution-focused role for someone who wants to build deep expertise in state and local government relations at a fast-growing company with real policy momentum. You'll be a critical partner in making it happen, with real ownership over specific states, relationships, and projects.

What You'll Do

• Support and help execute state and county-level legislative campaigns across multiple states, working closely with the Head of Government Relations on strategy and sequencing
• Track legislative and regulatory developments relevant to Obvio across target states and cities, and flag risks and opportunities to leadership
• Build and maintain relationships with local officials, staffers, and coalition partners in target jurisdictions
• Help identify, coordinate, and manage day-to-day work with local lobbyists and consultants engaged in active legislative sessions
• Draft materials that support GR communications — talking points, one-pagers, testimony, and briefing documents for meetings with officials
• Represent Obvio at city council meetings, county hearings, and community/stakeholder events in target markets
• Support coalition-building efforts by identifying and engaging local advocates, safety organizations, and community stakeholders
• Maintain organized tracking of bill status, relationship contacts, and campaign timelines across all active states

What We're Looking For

• 5-8 years of experience in state or local government relations, public affairs, campaigns, or a related field
• Direct experience supporting or helping execute a state or local legislative campaign (bill tracking, coalition support, stakeholder outreach, or similar)
• Solid understanding of how state legislatures and county/city government processes work
• Strong written and verbal communication skills — comfortable drafting materials for officials and representing Obvio in external meetings
• Highly organized, with the ability to track multiple states, relationships, and timelines simultaneously
• Comfortable operating with autonomy in a fast-moving startup environment, and willing to travel to target states/cities as needed
• Genuine interest in public safety and road safety policy

Nice To Have

• Prior experience at a public affairs or government relations consulting firm
• Existing relationships with state legislators, county officials, or advocacy organizations in target markets
• Experience with polling, message testing, or public communications campaigns

Why Obvio

• Your work will help save lives and improve road safety
• Series A of $54M
• Fast-moving startup environment with meaningful ownership
• Competitive compensation and early-stage equity

Obvio is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Obvio considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. Obvio is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let your recruiter know.