Vice President of Government Relations

Location: Chantilly, VA.

About the Role

The Vice President of Government Relations will define and lead the organization’s comprehensive government engagement strategy across federal, state, and local stakeholders. This executive will build and manage senior‑level relationships across the U.S. Government ecosystem to advance strategic priorities, shape emerging policy and regulatory frameworks, and support customer engagement across defense, civil, intelligence, and commercial sectors. The role sits at the intersection of government affairs, business development, policy, and strategy, working closely with the CEO, Segment Presidents, executive leadership, BD, engineering, and program teams to drive coordinated engagement with congressional, DoD, intelligence community, civil space, and regulatory stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Government Strategy & Advocacy: Develop and execute a multi‑level government relations strategy aligned with company goals, programmatic priorities, and long‑term growth; advance UAS and spacecraft missions in VLEO and maneuverable GEO orbits; navigate budgetary contractions and defend critical programs; shape policy positions, messaging, and external engagement strategies related to national security, space infrastructure, aerospace innovation, and regulatory requirements; monitor and analyze legislative, regulatory, acquisition, and policy developments relevant to defense, intelligence, civil space, and commercial markets.
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior government officials, congressional delegations, agency leadership, legislative staff, and regulators; engage with key committees and agencies including HAC‑D, SAC‑D, HASC, SASC, HPSCI, SSCI, and relevant Executive Branch organizations; represent the company in high‑visibility policy discussions, hearings, industry groups, trade associations, and government‑facing forums; prepare talking points, briefing materials, white papers, and executive‑level communications for internal and external engagements.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership: Coordinate closely with business segment teams to support customer engagement and strategic growth initiatives; support executive engagements such as congressional meetings, agency visits, industry events, conferences, and facility tours; work with engineering and program teams to translate complex technical concepts into clear explanations for policymakers and senior decision‑makers.
• State & Local Government Affairs: Build state and local government affairs capabilities from the ground up, including incentive negotiations, tax benefits, manufacturing support, and regional partnerships; lead government engagement for geographic expansion initiatives, ensuring alignment with workforce development, site planning, and community partnerships.
• Political & Regulatory Advisory: Advise executive leadership on political strategy, long‑term government affairs priorities, and risk mitigation; provide guidance on PAC direction and political engagement activities where applicable, ensuring compliance and alignment with business objectives; ensure adherence to ITAR, export control frameworks, and all relevant regulatory requirements.

Ideal Experience

• 10+ years of experience in government relations, legislative affairs, national security, aerospace, defense, or related sectors.
• Deep experience with congressional committees (HAC‑D, SAC‑D, HASC, SASC, HPSCI, SSCI) and/or Executive Branch policy and acquisition organizations.
• Strong understanding of U.S. Government budgeting, acquisition, and policymaking processes—especially for defense, intelligence, and space programs.
• Proven ability to develop high‑impact engagement strategies that support business growth in fast‑paced, high‑growth environments.
• Demonstrated success building senior‑level relationships across government and industry.
• U.S. Person status required for accessing export‑controlled information.
• Eligibility for TS/SCI clearance; active clearance highly preferred.

Desired Skills/Abilities

• Exceptional communication skills with experience preparing government‑facing and executive‑level materials.
• Strong strategic judgment with proven ability to navigate complex political and organizational landscapes.
• Willingness to travel for government, customer, and industry engagements.

Benefits

We offer a highly competitive benefits package along with a commitment to our core values of Integrity, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, and Excellence.

Pay

Salary Range: $175K - $250K, STI and LTI eligible.