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Salary: USD 180,000 - 350,000 / annual
Inversion Space is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology for next-generation space capabilities. The company's maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and national security missions. Headquartered in Los Angeles and backed by Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates spacecraft under one roof.
The Government Relations Executive will lead the company's congressional engagement and federal government relations strategy, serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on congressional priorities, defense authorization and appropriations, acquisition policy, federal budgets, and political factors affecting strategic objectives.
Key responsibilities include: developing and executing integrated legislative strategies to protect and expand existing programs and support new business opportunities; advising the CEO and executive team on congressional developments, defense budgets, acquisition policy, and legislative opportunities; designing legislative strategies supporting interceptors, integrated air and missile defense, hypersonic systems, and advanced national security capabilities; building and maintaining relationships with members of Congress, committee staff, and Department of Defense leaders; leading engagement with Senate and House Armed Services Committees and Appropriations Committees; monitoring and shaping the National Defense Authorization Act and defense appropriations legislation; identifying and addressing legislative or regulatory barriers affecting defense acquisition and production; translating complex technical and budget matters into clear messages for congressional audiences; providing intelligence and analysis on congressional priorities and defense policy changes; coordinating with business development, strategy, program management, finance, communications, legal, contracts, and engineering teams; preparing senior leaders for congressional meetings and hearings; representing the company in meetings with government stakeholders; developing congressional engagement strategies communicating operational value and economic impact; organizing congressional delegation visits and facility tours; building coalitions with customers, suppliers, and industry partners; establishing measurable government relations objectives and tracking progress; leading and mentoring government relations personnel; and ensuring compliance with lobbying, ethics, and disclosure requirements.
The ideal candidate brings extensive senior-level experience working in both chambers of Congress, including positions supporting the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee, with deep relationships with congressional members and staff, Department of Defense leaders, and military-service acquisition organizations.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in political science, public policy, national security, business, engineering, law, or related discipline
- At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in Congress, executive branch, defense industry, or combination
- Significant professional experience supporting both Senate and House, including positions supporting Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee
- Demonstrated experience working on interceptors, hypersonic, integrated air and missile defense, or closely related defense programs
- Deep knowledge of congressional authorization and appropriations processes, including National Defense Authorization Act and annual defense appropriations legislation
- Thorough understanding of Department of Defense planning, programming, budgeting, execution, defense acquisition processes, program oversight, and congressional budget cycle
- Established relationships with relevant congressional committees, member offices, congressional leadership, Department of Defense, military services, and defense acquisition organizations
- Demonstrated record of developing and executing legislative strategies that produced measurable funding, policy, acquisition, or program outcomes
- Ability to understand complex technical and programmatic issues and communicate effectively to specialist and nontechnical audiences
- Experience advising C-suite executives on sensitive legislative, political, budgetary, and business matters
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving government relations, business development, program management, finance, legal, contracts, communications, and technical teams
- Exceptional judgment, discretion, integrity, written communication, public-speaking, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
- Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, and respond rapidly to legislative developments
- Ability to obtain and maintain U.S. security clearance
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Prior service as professional staff, military legislative assistant, counsel, or senior advisor to Senate Armed Services Committee or House Armed Services Committee
- Experience supporting both congressional Armed Services Committees during development of defense authorization legislation
- Experience with Senate or House Appropriations Committee, particularly Defense Subcommittee
- Executive-branch experience within Office of Secretary of War, Department of Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Missile Defense Agency, or defense acquisition organization
- Direct experience with hypersonic weapons, missile warning, command and control, integrated air and missile defense, homeland missile defense, or advanced interceptors
- Working knowledge of relevant acquisition organizations, program executive offices, combatant commands, test organizations, and defense industrial-base stakeholders
- Experience securing congressional funding increases, influencing authorization or appropriations language, or supporting transition of advanced technology into operational programs
- Experience leading corporate government relations or legislative affairs organization and managing external lobbying firms and compliance processes
- Graduate degree in public policy, national security, business administration, law, engineering, or related field
- Active Top Secret or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance
