Government Relations Executive

Inversion•Columbia, WA

About The Position

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions. The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry. The Government Relations Executive will lead the company’s congressional engagement and federal government relations strategy. We are open to considering candidates at the Director, Senior Director, or Vice President level. Final leveling will be based on the candidate’s experience, demonstrated scope and impact, depth of relevant relationships, leadership experience, and other applicable compensable factors. This executive will serve as a trusted advisor to the senior leadership team on congressional priorities, defense authorization and appropriations, acquisition policy, federal budgets, and the political and programmatic factors affecting the company’s strategic objectives. The successful candidate will develop and execute integrated legislative strategies that protect and expand existing programs, support new business opportunities, shape relevant policy, and strengthen the company’s position within the national security community. The ideal candidate will bring extensive, senior-level experience working in both chambers of Congress, including positions supporting the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee. The candidate should possess deep relationships with congressional members and staff, Department of Defense leaders, military-service acquisition organizations, and other stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, national security, business, engineering, law, or a related discipline.
At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in Congress, the executive branch, the defense industry, or a combination of these environments.
Significant professional experience supporting both the Senate and the House of Representatives, including service in positions supporting the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee.
Demonstrated experience working on interceptors, hypersonic, integrated air and missile defense, or closely related defense programs.
Deep knowledge of the congressional authorization and appropriations processes, including the National Defense Authorization Act and annual defense appropriations legislation.
Thorough understanding of Department of Defense planning, programming, budgeting, and execution; defense acquisition processes; program oversight; and the congressional budget cycle.
Established relationships with relevant congressional committees, member offices, congressional leadership, the Department of Defense, military services, and defense acquisition organizations.
Demonstrated record of developing and executing legislative strategies that produced measurable funding, policy, acquisition, or program outcomes.
Ability to understand complex technical and programmatic issues and communicate them effectively to both specialist and nontechnical audiences.
Experience advising C-suite executives and other senior leaders on sensitive legislative, political, budgetary, and business matters.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving government relations, business development, program management, finance, legal, contracts, communications, and technical teams.
Exceptional judgment, discretion, integrity, written communication, public-speaking, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, and respond rapidly to legislative and program developments.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice To Haves

Prior service as professional staff, military legislative assistant, counsel, or senior advisor to the Senate Armed Services Committee or House Armed Services Committee.
Experience supporting both congressional Armed Services Committees during the development of defense authorization legislation.
Experience with the Senate or House Appropriations Committee, particularly its Defense Subcommittee.
Executive-branch experience within the Office of the Secretary of War, Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, Department of the Air Force, Department of the Space Force, Missile Defense Agency, or another defense acquisition organization.
Direct experience with one or more major mission areas, including hypersonic weapons, missile warning, command and control, integrated air and missile defense, homeland missile defense, or advanced interceptors.
Working knowledge of relevant acquisition organizations, program executive offices, combatant commands, test organizations, and defense industrial-base stakeholders.
Experience securing congressional funding increases, influencing authorization or appropriations language, addressing acquisition-policy barriers, or supporting the transition of advanced technology into operational programs.
Experience leading a corporate government relations or legislative affairs organization and managing external lobbying firms, consultants, political engagement activities, and compliance processes.
Graduate degree in public policy, national security, business administration, law, engineering, or a related field.
Active Top Secret or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the company’s comprehensive federal government relations and congressional engagement strategy in alignment with corporate growth objectives and program priorities.
Advise the CEO, executive leadership team, business-unit leaders, and program executives on congressional developments, defense budgets, acquisition policy, political dynamics, and legislative opportunities and risks.
Design and execute legislative strategies supporting interceptors, integrated air and missile defense, hypersonic systems, and other advanced national security capabilities.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with members of Congress, professional and personal committee staff, congressional leadership, defense appropriators, relevant congressional delegations, and other key stakeholders.
Lead engagement with the Senate Armed Services Committee, House Armed Services Committee, Senate and House Appropriations Committees, congressional leadership offices, and relevant member offices.
Monitor, assess, and shape the National Defense Authorization Act, defense appropriations legislation, supplemental appropriations, committee reports, authorization and appropriations marks, and other legislation affecting the company’s programs and markets.
Develop strategies to secure program authorizations, appropriations, congressional funding increases, supportive report language, policy provisions, and other legislative outcomes consistent with company objectives.
Identify and address legislative or regulatory barriers affecting defense acquisition, testing, production, contracting, industrial-base capacity, program execution, and the transition of emerging technologies into programs of record.
Translate complex technical, operational, acquisition, and budget matters into clear and compelling messages for congressional and executive-branch audiences.
Provide timely intelligence and actionable analysis concerning congressional priorities, program funding, acquisition strategies, oversight concerns, competitive positioning, and potential changes in defense policy.
Coordinate closely with business development, strategy, program management, finance, communications, legal, contracts, and engineering teams to ensure consistent government engagement and advocacy.
Prepare senior company leaders for congressional meetings, hearings, briefings, site visits, industry engagements, and other interactions with government stakeholders.
Represent the company in meetings with members of Congress, congressional staff, Department of Defense officials, military-service leaders, industry associations, and other national security stakeholders.
Develop congressional engagement strategies that communicate the operational value, technological maturity, industrial-base contribution, and economic impact of company programs.
Organize congressional delegation visits, facility tours, supplier-network engagements, employee advocacy initiatives, and other events that demonstrate program and workforce impact.
Build coalitions with customers, suppliers, industry partners, trade associations, and other stakeholders in support of shared legislative and policy objectives.
Establish measurable government relations objectives, track progress against those objectives, and regularly brief executive leadership on results, emerging issues, and recommended actions.
Lead, develop, and mentor government relations personnel and effectively manage external consultants and other advocacy resources.
Ensure that all government relations activities comply with applicable lobbying, ethics, campaign-finance, disclosure, and corporate compliance requirements.