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Halter is a venture-backed agtech company transforming livestock grazing through virtual fencing technology. The company is backed by tier-1 investors including Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, and DCVC, and operates across New Zealand, Australia, and the US.
As Senior Director of External Relations, you will own Halter's strategy and execution across three core pillars: regulatory access, reputation & narrative, and policy & advocacy. You will lead a distributed, senior team spanning External Relations Leads in NZ and AU, a Government Affairs Director in the US, a Director of Strategic Communications, and Communications/PR Managers across all three markets.
This is a player-coach role requiring hands-on leadership. You will set external strategy and coach your team on standards and direction, but you will also personally hold Halter's most senior relationships with regulators, government officials, industry leaders, and media. You will carry work end-to-end, from first contact through to outcomes.
Key responsibilities include: clearing regulatory pathways so Halter can sell and scale in new markets; owning Halter's public narrative and directing media/PR strategy; shaping policy and industry standards in Halter's favor; anticipating reputational and regulatory risks; partnering cross-functionally with Commercial, Product, Legal, and the Executive team; and keeping the team small, high-leverage, and focused on work that multiplies company credibility.
Your north star is transforming the external landscape from a risk to be managed into a competitive advantage—securing Halter's license to operate and grow in every market, building regulator trust, controlling the narrative, and positioning Halter as a partner rather than a disruptor.
The role requires deep regulatory and policy literacy across multiple jurisdictions, sharp communication and storytelling skills, strong political and cultural judgment, media relations expertise, and the ability to lead a distributed senior team while staying hands-on. You must be calm under pressure, a gritty problem solver, and future-focused in anticipating shifts in the external landscape.
Halter operates on an office-first model with flexibility when needed. The company offers competitive benefits including unlimited paid annual leave, 6 months fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers, wellness leave, a $1,000 annual self-development budget, and an employee stock ownership plan.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Build durable, high-trust relationships with regulators, officials, industry leaders, and media
- Deep regulatory and policy literacy; understand how rules are made and changed across jurisdictions
- Sharp communicator and storyteller; ability to shape compelling narratives for government, media, and industry audiences
- Strong knowledge of press operations; ability to build journalist relationships and manage proactive and reactive media
- Strong political and cultural judgment; ability to read different countries, cultures, and institutions
- Calm under pressure; ability to anticipate issues and stay clear-headed when they arise
- Proven ability to lead a distributed, senior team with high standards and hands-on involvement
- Gritty problem solver; persistent, creative, and comfortable with hard, ambiguous, long-game challenges
- Future-focused mindset; ability to anticipate shifts in the external landscape
BONUS EXPERIENCE:
- Built or led an external relations, government affairs, public affairs, or corporate communications function through rapid growth or international expansion
- Experience engaging regulators and shaping policy across multiple markets (NZ, AU, US preferred)
- Background in agriculture, agtech, hardware, or other regulated, high-growth industries
- Track record managing high-stakes issues and media moments with reputation intact
- Built relationships and trust that outlive you, creating champions who show up when needed
