Govt Relations Director - Defense & National Security

Poseidon Aerospace; Washington; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Health insurance and 401(k) matching

Unlimited PTO

Free lunches and snacks

Job summary

Poseidon Aerospace seeks a Director of Government Relations to own engagement with the federal government, drive authorizations and appropriations, and build a high-impact team in Washington, DC. You will lead congressional strategies, interagency engagements, and cross-functional initiatives to convert mission needs into funded programs and enduring support for Poseidon’s aircraft platforms.

You will personally manage Hill work, coordinate with agencies, and scale the GR function as the company

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in the national security, government relations, or federal legislative or executive arena, with significant Capitol Hill engagement.
• Extensive defense and national security experience on Capitol Hill, in the executive branch, or in a comparable defense-industry government-relations position.
• Demonstrated success planning and implementing strategies that influence change in the legislative, policy, and budget process, with a track record of outcomes through the NDAA and defense or homeland security appropriations.
• Deep, working knowledge of PPBE, the U.S. federal appropriations and authorization processes, and how requirements map to funding lines, schedules, and risk, including the roles of executive agencies, the White House, the Senate, and the House.
• One of the following profiles: professional staff on HASC, SASC, HAC-D, or SAC-D (or service for a senior appropriator), or current in-house government-relations experience at a defense technology company.
• Ability to build coalitions and maintain relationships with key congressional and executive-branch officials and with industry and trade associations.
• Willingness to register as an individual lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
• Based in and working from our Washington, DC office in person. Travel approximately 25% or greater.
• U.S. Person. Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degrees welcome but not required.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead Poseidon’s congressional strategy across the NDAA, defense, and homeland security appropriations, and oversight.
• Identify, draft, and advocate for authorization and report language that supports Poseidon’s platforms and the industrial base behind them.
• Drive annual appropriations and authorization campaigns to support program starts, plus-ups, and multi-year funding profiles that have direct and material impact on revenue.
• Build and maintain deep, trust-based relationships with Members and staff on HASC, SASC, HAC-D, SAC-D, and related subcommittees.
• Monitor, analyze, and engage the annual congressional policymaking process, with particular focus on appropriations and defense and homeland security policy.
• Engage the executive branch and interagency at senior levels to shape requirements, resourcing, and policy in Poseidon’s favor.
• Draft Poseidon’s congressional and executive-branch requests, and determine when, where, and how Poseidon can drive favorable outcomes.
• Serve as the primary relationship owner across relevant executive agencies and offices, translating their priorities into Poseidon’s program strategy and vice versa.
• Build constructive working relationships with regulators to streamline the approvals Poseidon needs to operate and test.
• Design, implement, and drive GR strategy across multiple business lines and spanning multiple fiscal years, aligned to corporate strategy.
• Work with growth and business-line leadership to identify business and policy opportunities and advise on the legislative and resourcing strategies to capture them.
• Lead coordination across communications, legal, corporate development, and engineering to execute in support of company-wide priorities.
• Stand up the systems, cadence, and eventually the team that scale the GR function as Poseidon grows.
• Draft and manage Poseidon’s engagement materials: white papers, one-pagers, decks, talking points, testimony, and hearing prep.
• Plan and execute Member and staff visits, demonstrations, and facility tours.
• Manage external lobbyists and consultants, and represent Poseidon in industry coalitions, trade associations, and think tanks.
• Support Poseidon’s Political Action Committee priorities and strategy.

Skills

Capitol Hill experience

National security

Policy strategy

Budget process

Coalition building

Lobbying registration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Poseidon Aerospace seeks a Director of Government Relations to own engagement with the federal government, drive authorizations and appropriations, and build a high-impact team in Washington, DC. You will lead congressional strategies, interagency engagements, and cross-functional initiatives to convert mission needs into funded programs and enduring support for Poseidon’s aircraft platforms.

You will personally manage Hill work, coordinate with agencies, and scale the GR function as the company