Merlin Labs

Vice President, Government Relations

Washington DC · Exec · Contract

No sponsorship$12k-$15kDetected 65 days ago

Stakeholder ManagementBusiness DevelopmentProcurementCommunication

About the role

You understand how government stakeholders make decisions-and how to position emerging technologies to align with national priorities and operational needs.
You operate with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for driving access, influence, and ultimately revenue.

Develop and lead Merlin's government relations strategy, aligned with revenue and growth objectives
Build and maintain senior-level relationships across U.S. government agencies, including defense, aviation, and related stakeholders
Partner closely with the Chief Revenue Officer and Business Development teams to identify, shape, and advance opportunities within government channels
Support the development and positioning of Merlin's capabilities in alignment with government priorities, missions, and funding pathways
Collaborate cross-functionally with Strategy, Programs, Engineering, and Policy to ensure alignment between government engagement and product direction
Help drive capture strategy and deal progression for key government programs
Develop clear internal reporting and external-facing materials to support executive and Board-level visibility

You are a senior government relations leader with deep experience navigating the intersection of policy, procurement, and mission-driven technology.
You are strategic, credible, and execution-oriented-able to open doors, shape opportunities, and help convert them into funded programs.
12-15+ years of experience in government relations, defense programs, or public sector business development
Experience engaging with Dod, FAA, DHS, or related agencies
Strong understanding of mission-driven technologies, ideally in aerospace, autonomy, or defense
Experience operating in complex, regulated environments
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders internally and externally
Deep understanding of U.S. government structure, procurement processes, and funding mechanisms
Proven ability to build relationships that lead to programmatic outcomes or revenue generation

Merlin Labs offers an innovative, entrepreneurial, and team-focused startup environment.
Merlin Labs is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.
All job offers are contingent upon the candidate passing background and reference checks.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Merlin is a venture backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable both reduced crew and uncrewed flight.
Backed by some of the world's leading investors, Merlin is scaling alongside our customers to begin leveraging autonomy today to solve some of aviation's biggest challenges.

At this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or consider candidates who require visa transfers.

This listing is sourced directly from Merlin Labs's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.