Public Affairs Specialist

Patrona Corporation•Washington, DC

4d•$110,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Patrona Corporation is seeking a Congressional and Public Affairs Specialist to support the Capability Portfolio Executive Combat Systems and Fires (CPE CSF) Program Offices, which are part of the U.S. Navy's acquisition of advanced naval combat and weapons systems. The role involves providing integrated legislative, public affairs, and executive support to senior leadership within a naval acquisition organization. The specialist will operate at the intersection of naval acquisition, congressional oversight, and public affairs, assisting Program Offices in developing clear and defensible messaging for Congress, the Department of the Navy, the Department of War, and industry. This position requires monitoring legislative actions, preparing leaders for hearings, drafting remarks, and managing inquiries under strict timelines while ensuring operational security (OPSEC) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) are maintained.

Requirements

Bachelor’s level degree with 8 years of related professional experience in Journalism, Public Relations, Political Science, Government, legislative affairs or other related Public Affairs Office positions.
OR High School Degree and 12 years related professional experience.
Must possess or be able to obtain a Department of War (DoW) security clearance.
Excels in written and verbal communication, with a crisp, clear style that effectively influences senior executives while building authentic connections with stakeholders at all levels.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint enterprise environments.
Accurate and timely turnaround of congressional inquiries, data calls, and audit responses within mandated deadlines.
Aligns prescribed narratives with program technical baselines, budget justifications, and public/executive messaging.

Nice To Haves

Prior service on Capitol Hill, in the executive branch, at DOE, DOD, a national laboratory, or in a senior federal affairs role.
Experience with defense programs.
Familiarity with federal funding mechanisms, cooperative agreements, contracts, and appropriations.
Prior direct experience working on Capitol Hill (personal or committee staff), within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Navy Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA), Navy Office of Information (CHINFO), or a defense acquisition program executive office (PEO).
Direct familiarity with naval combat systems, naval surface/undersea fires, sensors, weapons development, and NAVSEA operations.
Working knowledge of federal procurement mechanisms, defense acquisition milestones (DoDI 5000.02), and federal budget authority (BA) execution.
Knowledge of ETMS2.

Responsibilities

Monitor, analyze, and synthesize congressional activities, hearing transcripts, committee markups, and statutory reports from defense committees.
Track the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and Defense Appropriations cycles, aligning program office milestones with the President’s Budget (PB) submission and Department of the Navy (DON) oversight requirements.
Serve as the primary action officer coordinating formal program responses to Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits and Congressional Research Service (CRS) inquiries.
Research, draft, and refine remarks, opening statements, talking points, and conference presentations for Flag/General Officers and Senior Executive Service (SES) leadership.
Coordinate the development of comprehensive congressional prep materials, including logistics, slides, Questions for the Record (QFRs) responses, briefing books, and background materials.
Enforce Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) formatting and clear narrative structures to communicate complex technical, fiscal, and operational information to non-technical stakeholders.
Draft, coordinate, and staff timely responses to media, industry, congressional, and interagency inquiries in compliance with DoD and DON public affairs directives and approval processes.
Develop structured messaging campaigns and roll-out strategies for portfolio priorities, modernization initiatives, workforce communications, and operational impacts.
Facilitate pre-publication security and policy reviews (DoD Directive 5230.09) to ensure public-facing materials are vetted for OPSEC and CUI before release.