Why this role, and why nowThe policy moment for this company is the largest one in a generation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act put roughly $8 billion of capital behind the U.S. critical minerals industrial base - $5B of the new Industrial Base Fund carved out for critical minerals, $2B for the National Defense Stockpile, $500M of OSC credit subsidy translating into billions of loan authority, and $1B of fresh DPA Title III appropriation through FY2027. DFARS [redacted] takes effect on January 1, 2027, banning Chinese rare earth magnets from the U.S. defense supply chain.
Solcoa has to win in this environment. We're hiring a Head of Government Relations to make sure we do. This person will own our entire government-facing surface area, and will report directly to the CEO.
What you'll do- Own Solcoa's federal strategy end-to-end - across the executive branch, the Hill, and the agencies that matter most to the critical minerals industrial base.
- Build and maintain relationships with the policymakers, staffers, and operators whose decisions shape our market.
- Pursue and structure government-backed financing and procurement opportunities as they emerge.
- Track and shape the trade and industrial policy landscape - China export controls, allied-sourcing frameworks, defense supply chain rules - and translate it into commercial advantage for Solcoa.
- Engage at the state and local level where it matters, including California.
- Work with the BD and lobbying team to turn policy momentum into customer wins.
Who you areWe're looking for someone early-to-mid career who has already done real work in this space and is ready to own a function. Specifically:
- 5-10 years in federal policy, lobbying, or government - some combination of executive branch (DoD, DOE, Commerce, USTR, NSC, NEC), the Hill (SASC, HASC, ENR, Natural Resources, Select Committee on China), a top think tank (CSIS, CNAS, SAFE), or a critical-minerals-focused government affairs practice.
- Real working knowledge of DPA Title III, the OSC, DFARS, and how DoD writes critical-minerals contracts. You don't need to have closed one of these deals yourself, but you need to know exactly who to call and what diligence looks like.
- The instinct of a founder, not a staffer. You want to build a function from scratch, not inherit one. You'd rather close a deal than write a memo about closing a deal.
- A strong point of view on China, critical minerals, and the defense industrial base you can defend.
- D.C.-based, with a willingness to travel to our Alameda facility at least monthly.
What we offer- Competitive base salary.
- A meaningful equity package.
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
- Relocation support.
- Access to an office in DC.
- Visa sponsorship available if needed.
