Local Government Affairs Manager, Texas

Zipline; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Zipline is seeking a Local Government Affairs Manager to serve as the public face of our technology and operations in the United States. This remote role based in Texas will track engagements, manage policy proposals, and lead local site visits, helping Zipline launch in new communities and scale to benefit residents.

You will build strong relationships with state and local officials, collaborate across teams on permits and regulatory matters, and represent Zipline at public meetings and events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• 4+ years of experience in government affairs at the state or local level, with emphasis on public policy, innovation, and new technology.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time.
• Confidence presenting new and complex technology to diverse audiences.
• Ability to build trust quickly and engage communities with authenticity.
• Passion for new technology and its benefits to people and communities.
• Excellent communication, advocacy, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to handle high-stakes, time-sensitive situations and obtain regulatory approvals.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with local government officials in cities Zipline serves and plans to serve.
• Serve as an expert on local issues related to autonomous drone delivery, including site infrastructure, safety, sound, and privacy considerations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with teams on land use, permitting, and local approvals to ensure operational consistency.
• Coordinate and lead site visits and local events for government officials across multiple metros.
• Develop processes to ensure operational continuity and keep systems up to date.
• Monitor local policy proposals and advise Zipline on engagement strategies.

Skills

Communication skills

Public speaking

Advocacy

Interpersonal skills

Travel 50% willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

About Zipline

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.

Our customers include the world’s largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we’ve built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people’s lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

ABOUT YOU AND THE ROLE

Zipline is building the future and, as Local Government Affairs Manager, you will ensure that our amazing technology delivers incredible outcomes for people and communities.

In this remote role based in Texas, you will be an important public face of Zipline’s business and operations. From tracking engagements and policy proposals to leading local site visits, you will help maintain strong relationships with government officials across multiple metros and states. Your work will be critical to launching Zipline’s service in new communities as well as enabling the growth and scale to benefit as many members of those communities as possible.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with local government officials in cities Zipline serves and plans to serve
• Serve as an expert on key local issues related to autonomous drone delivery, including site infrastructure; trust in our approach to safety, sound, and privacy; other common areas of public concern; and the value and impact our service can have for people and communities where we operate
• Collaborate cross-functionally with team members, with an emphasis on land use, permitting, and other local approvals, to ensure operational consistency
• Coordinate and lead site visits and other local events for government officials across multiple metros
• Help develop processes to ensure company-wide operational continuity and ensure systems are routinely kept up to date
• Monitor local policy proposals (ordinances, legislation, and rulemaking) and make recommendations for Zipline engagement, when appropriate
• Execute a routine outreach plan to elected officials, track engagement, and act on follow-up inquiries as necessary
• Help manage relationships with key third-party advocacy groups.
• Represent Zipline in public settings, including council meetings, community meetings, conferences, and industry events.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 4+ years of experience working in government affairs at the state or local level, with an emphasis on the intersection of public policy, innovation, and new technology
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 50% of the time
• Confidence in presenting new and complex technology in a way that inspires your audience, shapes public perception, and addresses common areas of concern
• Ability to build trust quickly because you are authentic, direct, and care about the communities where you work
• Passion for new technology and the benefits it can provide to people and communities
• Excellent communication (verbal and written), advocacy, and interpersonal skills
• Enjoyment of working in high-stakes and time-sensitive situations, and enthusiasm for securing business-critical regulatory approvals alongside the business
• Bonus points for relevant experience working on technology policy issues within state and local government (ideally autonomy, robotics, transportation, or related fields)
• Bonus points for experience in Public Affairs, Policy and Research

What Else You Need to Know

The cash range for this role is $140,000 - $170,000. Please note that this is a target cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash payment for this role will depend on various factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may include equity compensation; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Zipline ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.