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Director of Science Policy

Rainmaker· Business Development
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Washington, DC$150k - $175kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Rainmaker is hiring a Director of Science Policy to own engagement with the federal science enterprise (DOE, NOAA, NSF, and related labs and offices), build proposals and partnerships, and manage Congressional and community relations to advance Rainmaker’s atmospheric science initiatives.

Responsibilities

  • Federal Science Agency Engagement: Own Rainmaker’s relationships across the federal research enterprise. Build durable relationships with program managers, division directors, and lab leadership, and understand where funding decisions actually get made.
  • Research Funding & Partnerships: Maintain a live pipeline of the federal funding opportunities that fit our capabilities, and partner with Rainmaker’s Research Team to build the proposals that win them. Build collaborations with universities, national laboratories, and other research institutions that make us a credible partner on multi-institution awards.
  • Science Policy & Legislative Strategy: Maintain command of the statutory and budgetary landscape governing federal atmospheric research, including agency authorization vehicles, the appropriations accounts that fund research directorates, and the interagency coordination structures. Develop legislative proposals and appropriations language that expand the space for the research we want to do.
  • Congressional Engagement: Own relationships with the House Science, Space, and Technology and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees, and with the Energy and Water and Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations subcommittees that fund DOE, NOAA, and NSF. Prepare briefing materials that make the case for atmospheric research investment in terms a non-technical staffer can carry.
  • Scientific Community & Coalition Building: Represent Rainmaker across the atmospheric science community. Identify the positive-sum opportunities where our research objectives and theirs align, and convert them into shared advocacy. Build the network of scientific validators who give Rainmaker standing in the field.
  • Research Liaison: Serve as the interface between Rainmaker’s Research Team and the agencies that fund them. Translate our technical capabilities into terms a program manager can act on, and translate agency priorities, review feedback, and funding shifts into direction our researchers can plan around. Coordinate closely with Federal Affairs and the water, agricultural, and international functions so the verticals reinforce one another.
  • Field Demonstrations & Site Visits: Organize visits for agency program managers, lab leadership, Congressional staff, and academic collaborators.
  • Grant Writing & Proposal Leadership: Spearhead the development of compelling, scientifically rigorous proposals for major federal grant programs, driving Rainmaker’s grant strategy and securing transformative resources across government agencies.

Qualifications

  • 5+ years in science policy, federal research administration, or government relations for a research-driven organization.
  • Advanced degree in atmospheric science, physics, engineering, or a related field; PhD preferred.
  • Working knowledge of how federal research gets funded: solicitations, merit review, and where proposals live between submission and award.
  • Genuine scientific fluency in atmospheric science and ability to represent research accurately in cross-functional settings.
  • Track record of building and winning competitive federal research proposals; familiarity with grants, cooperative agreements, subawards, and cost-share.
  • Strong understanding of the science policy landscape, including authorization and appropriations cycles, interagency coordination, and advisory committee processes.
  • Current relationships across federal science agencies, Congressional science committees, and the atmospheric/earth science research community.
  • Ability to operate as both strategist and hands-on operator in a fast-paced startup; capable of building a function from the ground up.

Skills

Required:Federal science policy and funding landscapeGrant writing and proposal leadershipStakeholder relationship management

Benefits

  • Significant stock options with high potential upside as an early-stage company
  • 401(k) with employer matching
  • Full health coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance)
  • Relocation assistance provided (if applicable)
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Paid parental leave for both parents
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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