Antares – Government Affairs Manager

Official Role Description: Antares

About UsAt 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 $130M in venture capital from top-tier investors and has over $13M in government funding.About the RoleThe 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 degree5+ years of public policy experience in Washington, DC ideally at the Pentagon, NASA, DoE, or DHS.Preferred Skills & Experience:Master’s degree preferredExperience with the development and execution of influence plans focused on federal stakeholdersGood writing (Smart Brevity, no passive voice, avoid repetition, etc.)Attention to detail; avoiding typographical errorsThe ability to explain complicated concepts in science, technology, defense, and engineering in clear language that the average reader can understand without jargon or acronymsUnderstanding 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 topicsAdditional Requirements:Ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestonesAbility to travel to regulatory locations as neededAbility to obtain a Q or Top Secret clearance is preferredCultureAt 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 Defense are complex ecosystems with numerous stakeholders with competing priorities, conflicting policies, perverse incentives, and emergent and path-dependent properties. First principles thinking alone is insufficient. Think probabilistically and then take action. “If you want to be certain, then you are apt to be obsolete.” Over-optimizing the components often degrades the systemObsess over the End User – The customer and end user are often not the same. We will never build globally competitive commercial products if we lose sight of our end users and their entire interaction with the product life cycleBe Unconstrained by Convention – Our only limits are the laws of physics. Many, even experts, will say what we are working on is impossible. They said the same about SpaceX reusing rockets. Generationally impactful companies, by definition, must accomplish the seemingly impossible. If it were easy, it would have already been done. Never shy away from a solution because it has never been tried before, and never choose to do something because that’s “how it’s always been done”Go Where the Work Is – Never miss a chance to meet a customer, user, or stakeholder face to face, even if that means hopping on a plane. If you can’t make it, find a teammate who can channel your intentions and go in your place. Deep work can be done from anywhere, but we believe teams are built in person, and aim to maximize our time togetherOperate in the Grey – Embrace nuance in pursuit of truth. Question every fundamental assumptionEqual OpportunityAntares is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.ITAR RequirementsTo conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.