State and Local Government Affairs Manager

Zipline

12h•Hybrid

About The Position

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service, on a mission to provide equal access to food, medicine, and essential goods globally. They design, build, and operate an autonomous logistics system, completing millions of deliveries across four continents, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products. Zipline's system aims to strengthen supply chains, reduce congestion, and give people time back, having safely flown over 140 million commercial autonomous miles. The company seeks practical problem solvers motivated by building systems with a direct, meaningful impact on lives and scaling the future of logistics. As the State & Local Government Affairs Manager, you will be a key public face for Zipline, ensuring their technology delivers positive outcomes for communities. This role involves tracking engagements and policy proposals, leading local site visits, and maintaining strong relationships with government officials across multiple metros and states. Your work will be crucial for launching Zipline's service in new communities and enabling its growth. The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of local government processes and politics, excellent communication and organization skills, and thrives in a fast-paced regulatory environment. This position can be remote or based in Dallas-Fort Worth or South San Francisco, requiring approximately 50% travel across the continental US.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
4+ years of experience working in government affairs at the state or local level, with an emphasis on the intersection of public policy, innovation, and new technology
Ability and willingness to travel up to 50% of the time
Confidence in presenting new and complex technology in a way that inspires your audience, shapes public perception, and addresses common areas of concern
Ability to build trust quickly because you are authentic, direct, and care about the communities where you work
Passion for new technology and the benefits it can provide to people and communities
Excellent communication (verbal and written), advocacy, and interpersonal skills
Enjoyment of working in high-stakes and time-sensitive situations, and enthusiasm for securing business-critical regulatory approvals alongside the business

Nice To Haves

Relevant experience working on technology policy issues within state and local government (ideally autonomy, robotics, transportation, or related fields)

Responsibilities

Tactically engage local government officials in cities Zipline serves and plans to serve, relying on established relationships or quickly building new ones
Serve as an expert on key state and local issues related to operating an autonomous drone delivery network, including site infrastructure needed to scale; trust in our approach to safety, sound, and privacy; other common areas of public concern; and the value and impact our service can have for people and communities where we operate
Collaborate cross-functionally with team members, with an emphasis on land use, permitting, and other local approvals, to ensure operational consistency
Coordinate and lead site visits and other local events for government officials across multiple metros
Help develop processes to ensure company-wide operational continuity and ensure systems are routinely kept up to date
Monitor local and state policy proposals (ordinances, legislation, and rulemaking) and make recommendations for Zipline engagement, when appropriate
Execute a routine outreach plan to elected officials, track engagement, and act on follow-up inquiries as necessary
Assist with state-level government affairs projects as needed, including interacting with state legislative and executive branch officials