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Chainguard is a venture-backed software supply-chain security company delivering hardened, secure, production-ready builds of open source software. The company serves Fortune 500 enterprises and global leaders including OpenAI, Snap Inc., Snowflake, and Anduril.
You will be Chainguard's first dedicated European government affairs and public policy leader, owning the company's strategy across the EU and UK during a critical period when major regulations—the Cyber Resilience Act, NIS2, and the EU AI Act—are being actively shaped.
Key responsibilities:
- Set and own Chainguard's European policy strategy, including priorities, positions, target institutions, and narrative for the policy process
- Engage governments, regulators, and standards bodies across Europe and the UK, including the European Commission (DG CNECT, DG GROW), European Parliament, ENISA, CEN-CENELEC, and ETSI
- Determine where Chainguard participates through industry coalitions (DigitalEurope, CCIA Europe, BSA, techUK) versus direct advocacy
- Forecast emerging policy developments and read where debates are heading before they become public
- Develop policy positions, consultation responses, and written submissions; speak authoritatively on Chainguard's behalf in public and industry forums
- Translate technical concepts into policy language and emerging requirements into clear implications for messaging and product roadmap
- Support product, marketing, and revenue teams with policy credibility and positioning
- Build the government affairs function by establishing repeatable processes, relationships, and intelligence flows
- As the business grows, help build the path toward leading a team
Requirements:
- 8+ years of directly relevant experience in government affairs or public policy (within public sector, regulatory/standards body, or private company with comparable function)
- Track record of building independently: standing up or growing a government affairs program, or developing and shepherding regulations, standards, or policy strategy to completion
- Senior official engagement experience with judgment and presence to represent a company credibly at that level
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical subject matter for policy audiences
- Comfort operating in ambiguity with minimal guidance; scrappy, resourceful approach
- Excellent written and verbal communication; credible with executives, engineers, and government stakeholders
- Degree and/or equivalent years of experience in the field
- Based in Europe and able to travel frequently across the region
Preferred experience:
- Multi-country portfolio with policy work or government affairs relationships across several European jurisdictions
- Fluency in one or more European languages in addition to English
- Experience across both public and private sector government affairs
- Familiarity with ENISA, CEN-CENELEC, ETSI, and major cybersecurity regulatory and standardization bodies
- Familiarity with CRA's conformity assessment framework and EU/UK lobbying transparency registers
- Experience representing a company through industry coalitions or trade associations
- Fluency in software supply chain security, cybersecurity, or AI subject matter
- Experience at a high-growth company
About Chainguard
AI / Data / Infrastructure; Legal / Compliance / Risk — software supply-chain security and trusted container images.
