Vice President, National Security & Government Affairs

DC Public Affairs Firm; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

DC Public Affairs Firm in Washington, DC, seeks a Vice President of National Security & Government Affairs to advise chief executives, founders, and investors on defense and national security policy. The role requires direct engagement with Members of Congress, senior staff, and government leaders, shaping executable strategies.

You will navigate NDAA, appropriations, and federal budget processes while expanding the firm’s national security practice and client portfolio.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8+ years of relevant experience in Congress, DoD, the Executive Branch, or government affairs.
• Experience advising senior decision-makers and working with CEOs, founders, or investors.
• Significant defense and national security policy exposure.
• Strong knowledge of NDAA, appropriations, and congressional processes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as principal-level advisor to founders, CEOs and investors across defense and national security.
• Own and execute government affairs strategies for defense, national security and emerging tech clients.
• Represent clients with Members of Congress, senior staff, and Department leadership.
• Navigate NDAA, defense appropriations, authorization, and federal budget processes.
• Understand DoD procurement and programmatic processes and related congressional actions.
• Develop funding strategies, report language, provisions, plus-ups and reprogramming.
• Work with budget documents including President’s Budget, J-books, and related exhibits.
• Collaborate with venture capital and private equity where government strategy intersects with growth.
• Maintain and expand senior-level relationships across Capitol Hill, the Department, and Administration.
• Forecast opportunities/risks and translate into actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to growth of the firm’s national security practice.

Skills

Principal-level leadership

Congress liaison

National security policy

NDAA knowledge

Job description

Vice President, National Security & Government Affairs

Washington, D.C.

One of Washington’s fastest-growing GOP government affairs firms is seeking a Vice President, National Security & Government Affairs to join its team. The firm is a right-of-center platform representing leading companies and innovators across defense technology, national security, artificial intelligence, cyber, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technology.

This is a principal-level, client-facing role for someone with an inside understanding of how Washington works and the judgment to advise senior decision-makers. Our team works directly with the founders, CEOs, senior leadership, and investors behind our clients, including leading venture capital and private investment firms. This individual will be expected to operate comfortably and credibly at that level.

The ideal candidate can walk into a CEO’s office, a meeting with the fund backing the company, a congressional office, or a senior Department meeting and add value in each. We are looking for someone who understands the intersection of policy, politics, funding, procurement, and relationships, and can turn that understanding into an executable strategy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a principal-level advisor to founders, CEOs, senior executives, and the investors backing companies across the defense and national security ecosystem.
• Own and execute government affairs strategies for defense, national security, and emerging technology clients.
• Represent clients directly with Members of Congress, senior congressional staff, Department leadership, and other senior government officials.
• Navigate the NDAA, defense appropriations, authorization, and federal budget processes, including relevant committees and subcommittees.
• Understand and engage the Department of War budget, acquisition, procurement, requirements, and programmatic processes, including the connection between congressional action and Department execution.
• Develop strategies around programmatic funding, report language, legislative provisions, plus-ups, reprogramming, and other congressional and Departmental pathways.
• Work comfortably with key defense budget and program documents, including the President’s Budget Request, justification books/J-books, P-1 and R-1 exhibits, and related budget materials.
• Work directly with venture capital, private equity, and other investment partners where government strategy intersects with portfolio company growth, market access, procurement, or policy.
• Maintain and expand senior-level relationships across Capitol Hill, the Department, the Administration, and the broader national security community.
• Anticipate opportunities and risks and translate them into clear, actionable recommendations, rather than simply reporting developments.
• Contribute to the continued growth and development of the firm’s national security practice.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in Congress, the Department of War, the Executive Branch, government affairs, or a combination thereof.
• Demonstrated principal-level experience and judgment, with a track record of working directly with senior government officials, Members of Congress, CEOs, founders, investors, or other organizational leaders.
• Significant experience in defense and national security policy.
• Strong working knowledge of the NDAA, appropriations, and congressional committee processes.