Managing Director, Government Relations - Legislative Branch

Hadrian Automation • Washington, DC

5d • $224,000 - $260,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost. Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built. Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen. If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

This role owns Hadrian's relationship with Congress: the committees, members, and staff whose decisions shape defense policy, program funding, and the operating environment Hadrian builds in. It sits inside the Government Relations pillar alongside the Executive Branch and State & Local functions and works closely — but not interchangeably — with the Chief of Staff's office and the Strategic Engagement Partnerships pillar to keep congressional engagement, budget strategy, and outside validation moving in the same direction.

This is an explicitly nonpartisan role. Hadrian's mission depends on durable relationships with policymakers across the political spectrum, and this role is accountable for building and sustaining that trust on both sides of the aisle.

This role starts with one direct report and is expected to grow the Legislative Branch team over time as Hadrian's congressional footprint expands. On budget and NDAA matters specifically, this role receives dotted-line support from the Principal, Government Relations — Defense Budget & Resourcing. This role also coordinates with the Head of Government Relations, Executive Branch for Legislative Branch support as needed.

This role also manages Hadrian's outside lobbying consultants, directing their work and drawing on their relationships to extend Hadrian's reach on the Hill beyond what an in-house team can cover alone.

Requirements

• A career spanning both congressional staff experience — such as a senior national security advisor for a member of Congress or defense committee staffer — and corporate government affairs leadership.
• A track record of translating policy priorities into legislative language and outcomes, including experience getting specific provisions included in an enacted defense authorization bills and appropriations bills.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with congressional offices across the political spectrum, grounded in trust rather than partisan alignment.
• Experience designing structured outreach efforts — stakeholder engagement plans, political giving strategies, or similar — to match a changing Congress.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience with speechwriting, public statements, or testimony preparation.
• Comfortable managing and developing a small but growing team.
• Currently practicing as a registered federal lobbyist, or immediately eligible to register.
• Holds or can obtain a national security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Prior military service is a meaningful plus given Hadrian's mission and its customer base.
• A relentless, genuine focus on Hadrian's mission: rebuilding American industrial capacity and the workforce that runs it.
• Proactive and collaborative, with a sense of levity that makes the work better without ever letting up on the bar for excellence.

Responsibilities

• Build and hold relationships with congressional leadership, the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, the Rules Committee, relevant oversight committees, and members and staff whose priorities affect Hadrian's factories, programs, and customers.
• Set legislative strategy for Hadrian's priorities in relevant legislation, translating company and program needs into legislative language and asks.
• Own day-to-day congressional outreach: identifying which relationships matter most, sequencing engagement, and keeping the broader team informed of shifting political and legislative dynamics.
• Partner with the Principal, Government Relations — Defense Budget & Resourcing, incorporating their financial management regulation and execution expertise into Hill strategy.
• Manage Hadrian's external lobbying consultants and firms, directing their scope of work and leveraging their existing relationships to extend Hadrian's congressional reach and coverage.
• Build and maintain credibility with offices across the political spectrum, adapting outreach and messaging to different congressional offices' priorities without compromising Hadrian's nonpartisan posture.
• Coordinate political giving and stakeholder engagement strategy, where applicable, to reflect the composition and priorities of the sitting Congress.
• Represent Hadrian at congressional hearings, briefings, and member or staff meetings, ensuring consistent, on-message engagement.
• Develop and maintain a congressional engagement strategy that anticipates and manages political risk for Hadrian.
• Manage and develop the Legislative Branch team, starting with one direct report, and build out the function's structure as it grows.
• Coordinate as needed with the Public Policy leadership team, so Hadrian speaks with one voice across the function.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
• 401k
• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy
• Equity

What This Job Offers

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