Director, Government Affairs

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.
CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.
About the role
We are looking for a Director of Government Affairs to join our growing Government Affairs & Strategy team. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Strategy, you will serve as one of CHAOS's principal strategists on defense appropriations, acquisition policy, and program funding. You will build and execute a legislative strategy aligned to our core technologies, represent CHAOS before Congress and the Executive branch, and partner with the Growth team to win new programs and protect existing ones. The strongest candidates bring deep Congressional experience and established relationships spanning the House, Senate, and Executive branch agencies.
At CHAOS, you will:
Lead CHAOS's authorization and appropriations strategy across the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, identifying, building, and defending funding for key programs
Build bipartisan relationships with Members, committee staff, and personal offices, and extend that network into OSW, the services, and relevant agencies
Track the annual NDAA and appropriations cycles from budget request through markup and conference, translating developments into clear guidance for program and executive teams
Draft legislative and report language, appropriations requests, and policy briefs
Represent CHAOS on Capitol Hill and in industry associations and coalitions
Ensure compliance with lobbying and disclosure laws and support PAC and political engagement strategy
We're looking for someone who has:
A university degree and 12+ years of relevant experience, or an advanced degree and 10+ years
Extensive Congressional experience on defense authorization or appropriations bills
Deep knowledge of the NDAA and annual appropriations processes
Established bipartisan relationships with relevant Congressional offices and committees
Strong written and verbal communication skills
A results-oriented, self-starter mindset that thrives in a fast-paced, rapidly growing environment
Willingness to register as a lobbyist
Nice to have:
Experience as a defense appropriations staffer or professional staff member on a defense Committee
An active security clearance
Prior experience in a corporate government affairs office or as a registered lobbyist
Knowledge of the planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) process
Technical fluency in autonomy, sensing, or AI
A willingness to treat no task as too small
Sense of humor
Why CHAOS?
Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
Our Perks: Free daily lunch while you're working onsite, fully-stocked kitchen, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
Team Growth: 500+ employees and counting across 5 global offices
Salary Range: $180,000 – $250,000
The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.
Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.
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