Director of Government Relations

We’re hiring.

Velocity Government Relations is looking for a Director, Government Relations to join our team on Capitol Hill.

Let’s be clear: this is not a “learn as you go” role. We’re looking for someone who already knows how Congress actually works—because you’ve lived it. Capitol Hill experience is strongly preferred (Legislative Assistant, Senior Policy Advisor, committee staff). If you’ve worked NDAA, defense appropriations, or spent time with HASC/SASC or HAC-D/SAC-D, you’ll hit the ground running.

We operate at the intersection of defense, aerospace, and advanced tech—helping innovative companies turn good ideas into funded priorities. That takes people who can translate complexity into action and navigate both policy and politics.

We’re a fun but hard-charging, in-office team. We move fast, expect a lot from each other, and take the work seriously—but not ourselves. You’ll have real responsibility, real client exposure, and zero room to hide behind process.

Please send a cover letter and resume to joanne@velocitygr.com

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Director, Government Relations

Velocity Government Relations

Capitol Hill, Washington, DC (Primarily In-Office)

Position Overview.

Velocity Government Relations (Velocity GR) is seeking a Director, Government Relations to lead and execute advocacy strategies for a portfolio of defense, aerospace, and advanced technology clients.

The Director will serve as a senior advisor to clients and a core member of the Velocity GR team. This role requires strong knowledge of congressional authorization and appropriations processes, fluency in defense budget mechanics, excellent writing and analytical skills, and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.

This position is ideal for a former Legislative Assistant or Senior Policy Adviser ready to transition from Capitol Hill into a client-facing government relations role, translating policy expertise and process fluency into tangible outcomes for innovative companies.

Velocity GR operates primarily in person to foster collaboration, mentorship, and client responsiveness, with one remote workday per week.

As a small, high-performing firm, we invest significantly in mentorship and professional development. This role is designed for someone who is motivated to build expertise and grow with the firm over time, taking on increasing responsibility as trust and performance are demonstrated.

This is not an entry-level position. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who can both shape strategy and execute with discipline and precision. Travel is minimal (approximately 10%), primarily for client engagements and industry events.

Key Responsibilities

Client Strategy & Execution

•         Develop and implement legislative and executive branch engagement strategies aligned with client business objectives.

•         Serve as a day-to-day contributor on assigned client accounts, partnering closely with firm principals to ensure proactive planning, strong follow-through, and high responsiveness.

•         Translate complex technologies and capabilities into compelling policy narratives and funding rationales.

•         Identify opportunities within NDAA, appropriations, reconciliation, and other legislative and oversight vehicles.

Congressional & Executive Branch Engagement

•         Build and maintain relationships with Members of Congress, professional staff, and relevant executive branch officials.

•         Lead preparation for and participate in congressional meetings, briefings, and hearings.

•         Track and influence authorization and appropriations cycles, including programmatic adds, report language, and reprogramming opportunities.

•         Monitor and assess DoD budget submissions, policy shifts, and emerging modernization priorities.

Analysis & Writing

•         Conduct detailed legislative, budget, and policy analysis.

•         Draft polished, client-ready memos, issue papers, appropriations justifications, white papers, policy alerts, and updates.

•         Prepare talking points, hearing summaries, stakeholder maps, and strategic engagement plans.

•         Provide clear, concise, and actionable recommendations to clients and firm leadership.

Business Development & Firm Growth

•         Support principal-led business development efforts, including proposal development and strategic positioning.

•         Contribute to firm thought leadership and market visibility initiatives.

•         Help refine internal processes to support scalable, high-quality client delivery.

•         While client origination is not an expectation of this role, demonstrated ability to cultivate new business opportunities will be recognized and rewarded.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 4–8 years of relevant experience, preferably on Capitol Hill (Member office or committee), in the Department of Defense, a defense company, trade association, or government relations firm.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading work tied to NDAA and/or defense appropriations; familiarity with HASC/SASC and HAC-D/SAC-D strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of DoD budgeting, acquisition pathways, and emerging national security priorities.
• Proven ability to independently manage legislative workstreams and multiple deadlines.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively on a bipartisan basis.
• Ability to thrive in a small, entrepreneurial, high-performance team environment.
• Candidates must be eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance if needed for client engagements.

What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months)

• Serve as a key contributor to assigned client accounts, partnering closely with firm principals to ensure strong client satisfaction and responsiveness.
• Deliver consistently high-quality written products (memos, updates, meeting materials) with minimal iteration required.
• Support the development and execution of stakeholder maps and engagement plans aligned to legislative milestones.
• Proactively identify risks and opportunities in the NDAA and appropriations cycles and elevate actionable recommendations to firm leadership.
• Demonstrate strong collaboration, sound judgment, and reliability within a small, high-performance team environment.

Compensation & Benefits

Velocity GR offers a competitive compensation package, including:

• Compensation will commensurate with experience
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Monthly health insurance reimbursement (up to $350 per month)
• Simple IRA with 3% employer match
• Paid time off and federal holidays
• Professional development support

Travel is minimal (approximately 10%).

About Velocity Government Relations. Velocity Government Relations (Velocity GR) is a bipartisan, boutique, senior-level government relations and strategic advisory firm focused on national security, defense, aerospace, emerging technology, critical materials, and advanced industrial sectors. We work with innovative companies — from high-growth venture-backed firms to established primes — to navigate Congress, the Department of Defense, and the broader national security ecosystem. Our team combines deep Capitol Hill experience, policy fluency, and strategic insight to help clients align their capabilities with federal priorities and secure a durable competitive advantage. Velocity GR operates as a high-trust, high-performance team. We value intellectual rigor, discretion, creativity, responsiveness, and a strong bias toward action.

Equal Opportunity. Velocity Government Relations is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.