Head of Government Relations & Partnerships

Sandboxx•Middleburg, VA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Sandboxx is seeking a Head of Government Relations & Partnerships to lead the company's external engagement strategy across government, military, nonprofit, and community stakeholders. This role reports directly to the CEO and serves as the company's lead for government relations, public affairs, partnerships with the non-commercial military ecosystem, and external engagement. The position sits at the intersection of policy, business development, partnerships, and ecosystem strategy. The successful candidate will build relationships with congressional offices, Department of War stakeholders, military and veteran service organizations, military family advocacy groups, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations that share Sandboxx's mission of supporting service members and their families. Success will be measured by outcomes, translating relationships into partnerships, partnerships into tangible opportunities, and opportunities into measurable impact for the business and the military community.

Requirements

Prior military service or significant experience in government relations (Capitol Hill, DoW, VA, military service organizations). This role requires credibility in the military ecosystem and understanding of how defense institutions operate.
8+ years of experience in government relations, public affairs, strategic partnerships, or military affairs.
Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with government, military, nonprofit, or advocacy stakeholders.
Strong understanding of issues affecting military service members, veterans, military families, recruiting, retention, or military quality of life.
Experience navigating complex organizations and influencing without direct authority.
Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills.
Proven ability to translate external relationships into tangible business outcomes (partnerships that drove adoption, reach, or strategy).
Experience operating independently in fast-moving environments.
Strong judgment, discretion, and executive presence.

Nice To Haves

Existing relationships across military commands, congressional offices, veterans organizations, or military family advocacy groups.
Experience in government affairs or strategic partnerships within a high-growth company or startup.
Familiarity with military recruiting, personnel, readiness, family programs, or veteran transition initiatives.
Track record of representing an organization at senior-level meetings, conferences, and public events.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain relationships with congressional offices, committee staff, Department of War stakeholders, military commands, Veterans Affairs, and other government entities relevant to Sandboxx's mission.
Monitor legislative, regulatory, and policy developments affecting military families, recruiting, retention, quality of life, military spouse employment, veteran transition, and related issues.
Represent Sandboxx in discussions with policymakers, government officials, and military stakeholders.
Identify opportunities for Sandboxx to participate in policy conversations and initiatives that align with our mission and values.
Prepare leadership for meetings with government officials and external stakeholders through briefing materials, talking points, strategic recommendations, and stakeholder intelligence.
Develop and manage partnerships with military nonprofits, veteran service organizations, advocacy groups, educational institutions, and other organizations serving military-connected audiences.
Identify partnership opportunities that expand Sandboxx's reach, strengthen our products, increase user engagement, or support our strategic mission.
Build repeatable partnership frameworks that create long-term value and measurable impact rather than one-off sponsorships or transactional relationships.
Partner closely with Product, Marketing, Community, and News teams to ensure strategic partnerships support broader company objectives and drive product adoption or user engagement.
Help position Sandboxx as a leading voice in conversations surrounding military families, recruiting, readiness, retention, military quality of life, and veteran transition.
Identify speaking opportunities, conferences, working groups, and industry forums where Sandboxx should have a presence.
Represent the company at key military, nonprofit, government, and advocacy events.
Build relationships with influential leaders and organizations across the military ecosystem.
Serve as Sandboxx's eyes and ears across the military, government, and veteran landscape.
Identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities that may impact our users, products, or strategic direction.
Provide leadership with actionable insights on developments across Congress, the Department of War, military family organizations, and the broader military ecosystem.
Help translate external developments into internal business opportunities.