Government Relations Manager, Defense

REGENT • Washington, DC

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

REGENT Craft is seeking a Government Relations Specialist with a defense focus to advance the company's priorities on Capitol Hill and across key U.S. Government and allied government customers. This role is built for someone who knows the Hill inside and out and is equally comfortable in customer-facing settings - Pentagon meetings, program office engagements, defense trade shows, and other forums where government relations and defense business development converge.
Sitting at the intersection of policy, government relations, and defense business development, the right candidate combines Hill fluency with the operational instincts to engage program offices, requirements communities, and senior defense stakeholders. You will translate REGENT's mission, technology, and program portfolio into clear, persuasive narratives for congressional, executive branch, and operational audiences - and will help shape the strategies, materials, and relationships that move priorities forward.
This role reports to a member of REGENT's senior government affairs and strategy team and works closely with growth, engineering, mission, product, finance, legal, and executive leadership.

Requirements

• 2–5 years of direct Congressional experience preferred (personal office, committee staff, or equivalent), with demonstrated fluency in defense policy, the authorization and appropriations cycles, and the broader Capitol Hill ecosystem.
• Experience or strong working knowledge of defense or national security business development, capture, or proposal work, including supporting RFIs, RFPs, white papers, presentations, or other strategic customer-facing documents.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, persuasive narratives for congressional, executive branch, and operational audiences.
• Ability to work in-person in Washington, DC minimum 3 days per week.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%, including occasional international travel.
• U.S. citizenship required, with the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Existing relationships with relevant congressional offices, committee staff, and defense executive branch stakeholders.
• Experience supporting capture and proposal efforts for U.S. Government customers, including defense, civil, or national security agencies.
• Experience with allied government, commercial, or international customer engagement, strategic bids, or partnership materials.
• Familiarity with federal acquisition processes, proposal structures, and evaluation criteria.
• Experience writing about highly technical products, systems, or mission concepts in maritime, autonomy, defense-tech, or related fields.
• Experience at an early-stage startup or other fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects, events, and deadlines simultaneously.
• A bias for action and comfort operating with a high degree of autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Advance REGENT's policy and program priorities on Capitol Hill, working directly with personal office and committee staff on technical and program matters, and coordinating with REGENT's external lobbying firm on appropriations and authorization asks.
• Develop and execute engagement strategies across House and Senate Armed Services, Defense Appropriations, Homeland Security, and other relevant committees and member offices.
• Support customer-facing engagement across DoD, DHS, and allied government stakeholders, including Pentagon meetings, program office reviews, requirements discussions, and senior leader briefings.
• Translate mission needs, procurement signals, policy dynamics, and competitive context into clear positioning, win themes, and engagement strategies for priority pursuits.
• Lead development of strategic written materials, including Hill one-pagers, position papers, briefing memos, congressional testimony preparation, white papers, RFI and solicitation responses, capture plans, technical narratives, and presentations.
• Serve as a primary author and project manager for proposals and capture deliverables, coordinating inputs across business development, engineering, product, mission management, legal, finance, and leadership.
• Drive timelines, content integration, reviews, and final deliverables across multiple simultaneous pursuits and engagement workstreams.
• Build and maintain reusable content, response playbooks, and engagement infrastructure that improve quality and speed over time.
• Represent REGENT at defense trade shows, industry conferences, and customer events in the United States and internationally, supporting product demonstrations, customer meetings, and follow-on engagement.
• Track and synthesize relevant policy, budget, and acquisition developments, and translate them into actionable guidance for REGENT leadership.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation including a robust equity incentive plan.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance - we cover 100% of your premiums.
• 401(k) with company matching, so you can plan for the future.
• Generous flexible time off, paid parental leave, and company-wide holiday breaks.
• Relocation packages available for those moving to join our team.
• Daily, free lunches
• Learning & professional development opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed