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Salary: USD 224,000 - 260,000 / annual
Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America by combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing to help aerospace and defense companies build mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost. Following a $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, the company is rapidly expanding its manufacturing footprint and Factory-as-a-Service platform.
This role owns Hadrian's relationship with Congress, including committees, members, and staff whose decisions shape defense policy, program funding, and the operating environment. The position sits within the Government Relations pillar alongside Executive Branch and State & Local functions, working closely with the Chief of Staff's office and Strategic Engagement Partnerships to align congressional engagement, budget strategy, and outside validation.
The role is explicitly nonpartisan and accountable for building and sustaining trust with policymakers across the political spectrum. It starts with one direct report and is expected to grow the Legislative Branch team as Hadrian's congressional footprint expands. The Managing Director will manage Hadrian's outside lobbying consultants, directing their work and leveraging their relationships to extend reach on the Hill.
Key responsibilities include: building and maintaining relationships with congressional leadership, Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, Rules Committee, and relevant oversight committees; setting legislative strategy for Hadrian's priorities in relevant legislation; owning day-to-day congressional outreach and identifying which relationships matter most; partnering with the Principal of Government Relations on Defense Budget & Resourcing to incorporate financial management expertise into Hill strategy; managing external lobbying consultants and firms; building credibility with offices across the political spectrum; representing Hadrian at congressional hearings, briefings, and member/staff meetings; developing a congressional engagement strategy that anticipates and manages political risk; managing and developing the Legislative Branch team; and coordinating with Public Policy leadership to ensure consistent messaging.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Career spanning both congressional staff experience (e.g., senior national security advisor for a member of Congress or defense committee staffer) and corporate government affairs leadership
- Track record of translating policy priorities into legislative language and outcomes, including experience getting specific provisions included in enacted defense authorization 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
- Prior military service is a meaningful plus
- Relentless, genuine focus on Hadrian's mission: rebuilding American industrial capacity and workforce
- Proactive and collaborative with a sense of levity
- Currently practicing as a registered federal lobbyist, or immediately eligible to register
- Holds or can obtain a national security clearance
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State (ITAR requirement)
