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Government Relations Manager

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Vannevar Labs supports people on the front lines by building tools that deter and de-escalate conflict with America's adversaries. We build software and hardware for this mission that enable our customers to maintain maritime vigilance, disrupt misinformation, and collect non-traditional intelligence. In strategic competition, the intelligence and actions that shape conflict occur well before war itself. We build tools to win this fight now.

This mission has become urgent. The US and our allies are fighting a war of deterrence with woefully outdated technology. As a team, we believe in public service and that our democracy and government improve only if we put serious, collective effort into improving them, including the technology our government uses. 

Since our founding in 2019, we have grown to support a wide range of missions and capabilities across all U.S. service branches, multiple combatant commands, partner nations, and the intelligence community. We have been profitable since 2021, and are backed by investors including General Catalyst, DFJ Growth, Point72, Costanoa, and Felicis.

About the role

We are looking for a Government Relations Manager to work directly with our VP of Public Policy and Strategy to advance Vannevar’s public affairs objectives, where you can have an outsized impact and drive significant growth at a national security startup. You would partner with our VP on developing legislative strategies that result in policy, authorities, and multi-year program funding outcomes, and lead engagements with key stakeholders on Capitol Hill. You would also work closely with our Mission team (strategy, success, and business development) to understand our relationships with program offices and technology deployment goals, and support by analyzing budget justification books, congressional testimony and other relevant government documents to understand our customer’s requirements and resources to shape go-to-market strategies.  

What you'll do

  • Represent Vannevar on Capitol Hill. Communicate our strategic vision, differentiated technology, and mission impact to legislative stakeholders and Department of Defense leadership, tailoring messages to their specific concerns and agendas. 
  • Own specific legislative objectives. Manage Vannevar’s engagement with legislators and their teams that are targeted at achieving discrete growth goals, while also advancing the company’s broader public affairs strategy.
  • Partner with Mission team. Support Vannevar’s go-to market strategies by offering government relations perspectives, from potential footholds to category-defining new programs.  

What we're looking for

  • Passion for building next-generation capabilities for our public servants
  • Proven ability to navigate complex legislative processes to achieve impact 
  • Relationships with bipartisan Members and staff on one or both sides of the US Capitol
  • Very strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Experience driving new technology adoption and scaling within the Department of Defense 
  • 5+ years navigating Capitol Hill’s defense or intelligence committees and issues and / or in an external government relations role, preferably with specific expertise in Appropriations
  • Willingness to register as a lobbyist
  • U.S. Citizenship and eligibility for a TS/SCI clearance
  • Located in the Washington, DC metro area 

What we offer

The salary range for this position is $150,000-$190,000 + equity + 401K match. Within the range, individual pay is determined by experience, relevant education, and/or training. 

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • 100% remote - work from anywhere in the US
  • 401k matching
  • Mental benefits
  • Flexible work environment - you manage your workday
  • Pet and child care reimbursement during travel
  • Unlimited PTO

Vannevar Labs is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
 
We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if you don't feel like you're a perfect fit. If you're passionate about contributing to our mission, we'd love to hear from you!
 
IMPORTANT NOTICE
We are committed to protecting the privacy of all applicants. Official emails from the company will come from an @vannevarlabs.com domain. Under no circumstances will a legitimate representative from our company contact you to request passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal data. Please be vigilant of potential scams.

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