Government Affairs Manager
Antares
About Us At Antares, our long-term mission is to make clean energy abundant from Earth to the Asteroid Belt. We’re fueled by the belief that advanced nuclear energy can strengthen our military, solve the climate crisis, elevate global living standards, and expand humanity's presence in outer space. To achieve our mission, we’re building mass-producible, inherently safe, deployable microreactors that can be used terrestrially, underwater, and in space. Formed in 2023, the Antares team hails from SpaceX, The White House, MIT, Rigetti Computing, The Air Force, General Atomics, Relativity Space, Ursa Major, and National Laboratories like Los Alamos, Idaho, and Oak Ridge. Antares has raised over $600M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has over $13M in government funding. About the Role The Government Affairs Manager is in charge of helping Antares leadership execute our DC-based strategy for engaging federal stakeholders from Congress, the Pentagon, NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Homeland Security. The government affairs manager will closely monitor all events in Washington, DC, and recommend how the CEO and the Head of Federal Strategy and Policy should engage to allow Antares to capture federal business opportunities, enact legislation that removes obstacles to the development of the advanced nuclear energy industry, and enhance Antares’ reputation within the Beltway. Roles and Responsibilities: - Develop a plan for prioritized engagement across all federal agencies and Congress. This plan will be revised, updated, and maintained on a regular, if not daily, basis. - Develop a list of what Antares seeks from each federal stakeholder, why, and whom to engage to achieve our objectives. - Develop requests for authorities from Congress either in the National Defense Authorization Act, the NASA authorization act, Energy legislation, or bills related to the authorities of the Department of Homeland Security. - Attend and report on relevant events (Congressional hearings, think tank events, speeches, new legislation, etc.) in Washington, DC to Antares leadership. Following each event, convey to company leadership why the event was significant and what follow-on steps Antares should take including how the event impacts our federal engagement strategy. - Suggest visits and travel opportunities to Antares leadership for meetings with Pentagon leaders, NASA leaders, and DoE leaders outside of Washington, DC. - Work with the Head of Federal Strategy and Policy to develop a plan for how the CEO of Antares should allot his time when he visits Washington, DC. Basic Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree - 5+ years of public policy experience in Washington, DC ideally at the Pentagon, NASA, DoE, or DHS. Preferred Skills & Experience: - Master’s degree preferred - Experience with the development and execution of influence plans focused on federal stakeholders - Good writing (Smart Brevity, no passive voice, avoid repetition, etc.) - Attention to detail; avoiding typographical errors - The ability to explain complicated concepts in science, technology, defense, and engineering in clear language that the average reader can understand without jargon or acronyms - Understanding of and familiarity with the U.S. military, nuclear energy industry, space, NASA, the lunar economy, and the venture-backed startup ecosystem. This understanding may come in the form of multiple years of work experience in any or all of these sectors or academic study of issues related to these topics Additional Requirements: - Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones - Ability to travel to regulatory locations as needed - Ability to obtain a Q or Top Secret clearance is preferred Culture At Antares, we like to specifically tie each role to our founding document’s set of values–here are the top five cultural values we think you should believe at your core to be successful: - Think in Systems - Energy and