Managing Director, Government Relations - Defense Budgeting
Washington, DC$224k - $260kFull-timePosted 3w ago
About the role
Dual-front government relations role focusing on defense budgeting within Pentagon/OMB and congressional topline, with emphasis on budget build, execution, and strategic engagement across executive and legislative branches.
Responsibilities
- Own Hadrian's engagement on how the President's Budget request is built inside the Pentagon and OMB, before it ever reaches Congress.
- Build and hold relationships with congressional leadership and the leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services and Budget Committees.
- Translate the distinction between mandatory and discretionary spending and how the reconciliation process affects the defense topline.
- Support Appropriations Committee engagement, NDAA authorization requests, congressional oversight and testimony prep as a dotted-line partner; represent Hadrian on budget-build and topline matters.
- Translate federal budget calendar into concrete, timely guidance for the CEO, SVP, Federal sales lead, and Hadrian's executive team.
- Bring deep fluency in how funding moves once appropriated (apportionment, allocation, obligation, execution) and anticipate funding shifts affecting Hadrian.
- Understand how the organic industrial base is managed and funded and how Hadrian's plans intersect with those decisions.
- Understand how the National Defense Stockpile is managed and funded and its impact on Hadrian.
- Oversee defense working capital funds and the reprogramming process, including omnibus reprogramming, influencing reprogrammings prior to submission to defense committees.
- Operate proactively to identify opportunities and surface risks during execution year.
- Partner with Federal sales and capture to ensure budget intelligence informs pursuit strategy, pricing, and timing.
- Prepare board- and investor-facing materials on federal budget risk and opportunity exposure.
Qualifications
- 15+ years alternating between the legislative and executive branches of the defense budget process.
- Direct ownership of the defense reprogramming review process and oversight of defense working capital funds, organic industrial base, and National Defense Stockpile.
- Proven track record of driving institutional change across the Pentagon and the Hill.
- Subject-matter authority recognized by external reviews (e.g., PPBE Reform Commission).
- Experience translating a defense contractor's long-range plan into federal fiscal-policy advocacy.
- Trusted with budget staff, defense committee staff, and financial managers on both sides of the branch divide.
- Deep familiarity with the congressional budget committees, CBO, GAO, and CRS.
- Fluency in mandatory vs discretionary spending and reconciliation effects on defense topline.
- Strong relationships across the military comptroller community.
- Ability to translate budget detail into clear intelligence for executives, including execution and obligation data and reprogramming flows.
- Deep understanding of defense financial management regulations and PPBE process.
- Ability to operate with independence and sound judgment, prioritizing Hadrian's mission.
- Currently practicing as a registered federal lobbyist, or immediately eligible to register.
- Hold or be able to obtain a national security clearance.
- Advanced degree in business administration, public administration, or related field is a plus.
Skills
Required:Defense budget process expertiseReprogramming and appropriations oversightStrategic congressional engagementBudget intelligence for sales strategy
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
- 401k
- Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need
- Flexible vacation policy
- Equity
Last updated Sep 30, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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