Director, Government Affairs

<div class="content-intro"><p>At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo’s 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world’s first commercial space station when it launches, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.</p></div><p>Vast is looking for a <strong>Director, Government Affairs </strong>to lead and expand the company’s engagement across Congress,&nbsp; the U.S. Department of Defense, and associated national security stakeholders. This role will drive policy, partnership, and congressional advocacy strategies to advance Vast’s initiatives to launch and operate the world’s leading commercial space stations in support of both civil and national security space objectives.</p> <p>This will be a <strong>full-time</strong>, <strong>exempt </strong>position located in our <strong>Washington D.C. </strong>location.</p> <p><strong>Responsibilities:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Strategic Leadership</strong><strong><br></strong> <ul> <li>Develop and execute a comprehensive DoD and national security engagement strategy aligned with Vast’s government affairs and policy objectives.</li> <li>Collaborate across internal teams including Legal, Programs, Engineering, and Business Development to align advocacy efforts with mission and programmatic priorities.</li> </ul> </li> <li><strong>Congressional &amp; DoD Engagement</strong><strong><br></strong> <ul> <li>Build and maintain strong relationships with key offices within the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, Air Force, Space Development Agency (SDA), Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and other defense-related organizations.</li> <li>Engage with relevant Congressional committees and staff, particularly those overseeing defense, space, and appropriations matters.</li> <li>Coordinate with the National Security Council (NSC), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and others in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) when