Public Policy Lead - US

Kindred is a members-only home swapping platform that unlocks the ability to live a travel-rich lifestyle through the power of community. By exchanging primary residences with trusted peers, renters and owners alike can match with Kindred spirits and explore new destinations without breaking the bank. Kindred is revolutionizing the “third option” of travel accommodation, compared to short-term rentals and hotels. Since launching in 2022, Kindred has grown to a global community of 300,000 members across 150+ cities and puts home swapping on the map as a radically more affordable, responsible, and connected way to travel. To support that momentum, Kindred has raised over $150M in capital from some of the most credible investors in Silicon Valley, including Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates, Bessemer Venture Partners, Caffeinated Capital, Elad Gil, and founders of companies like Opendoor, Figma, ClassPass, and more. Kindred’s co-founders are proven leaders from the early team at Opendoor ($15B+ exit), who have each built and scaled products that today generate $1B+ annual revenue combined. We’re looking for the world’s top builders, executors, and believers to help us make travel more meaningful. You can learn more about us in Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/francescawalton/2026/02/03/home-swap-startup-kindred-raises-125-million-in-fresh-funding-as-travelers-seek-creative-ways-to-save-money/ and The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/realestate/is-your-apartment-nice-enough-for-this-home-swapping-app.html. ABOUT THIS ROLE This is Kindred’s first dedicated public policy hire. You’ll join a three-person legal and policy team (reporting to the General Counsel) and own the execution of Kindred’s public policy and government relations efforts, with a focus on North American markets but covering additional markets as necessary. The role is primarily focused on proactive advocacy to shape the policy environment for home-swapping. You’ll build relationships with elected officials, regulators, and industry groups. You’ll commission and manage economic impact research. You’ll develop city-level partnerships that normalize home-swapping as a category distinct from other travel categories. You’ll also develop working familiarity with the tax, housing, and accommodation regulations that intersect with Kindred’s model, and help parse how those frameworks apply (or don’t) to credit-based home-swapping. You’ll do all of this initially as a team of one, with outside consultants to support you and a path to building a team as the company grows and the function matures. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Execute Kindred’s public policy strategy with an emphasis on proactive advocacy. - Build and maintain relationships with elected officials, regulators, and staff at the local, state/provincial, and national levels. Represent Kindred in meetings, hearings, coalition convenings, and industry events. - Track proposed housing, short-term rental, tax, and platform regulations that could impact Kindred’s model, identifying where Kindred’s credit-based, non-commercial structure creates meaningful regulatory distinctions. Use AI-assisted tools and other technology to monitor developments across jurisdictions. - Further develop and evolve Kindred’s core policy narrative and positioning materials. Draft position papers, comment letters, testimony, and advocacy materials. - Propose and negotiate city-level partnerships that promote and normalize home-swapping. Build relationships with housing advocacy organizations, tourism boards, trade associations, and aligned industry coalitions. - Commission and manage third-party economic analyses on the impact of Kindred’s model, collaborating with internal business teams and outside consulting firms. - Identify, evaluate, and manage outside consultants cost-effectively (lobbyists, policy advisors, research firms). - Partner with internal teams to develop externally facing materials and data packages for stakeholder engagements. - Coordinate with the General Counsel on lobbying compliance, political activity disclosures, and regulatory filings. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - 7–10 years of experience in public policy, with at least 3 years at a technology company or similar fast paced environment. - Experience building or meaningfully contributing to building a public policy or government relations function, not just operating within an established one. - Track record of productive relationships with elected officials, regulators, and policy stakeholders. - Experience managing outside consultants, lobbyists, or policy advisors across multiple jurisdictions. - Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience drafting policy position papers, advocacy materials, or regulatory comments. - Experience with policy matters at the city and state level in the United States, with an interest in policy work in new jurisdictions. - Fluency with AI tools and a willingness to integrate them into policy monitoring, research, and content development workflows. - Willingness to operate as an individual contributor while building the function, with the judgment to know when to engage outside support. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience in or adjacent to the sharing economy, home-sharing, travel, housing, or short-term rental sectors. - Experience at a growth-stage company (under 500 employees). - Familiarity with vacation/short-term rental, housing, and land use regulations, as well as related tax regulations. - Comfort with detailed regulatory analysis: ability to read and interpret statutes, ordinances, and administrative rules, and translate their implications into actionable policy positions. A law degree and legal practice experience is a plus but not required. WHY KINDRED - Build something new: You’ll help define the function and shape how Kindred engages with governments and regulators from the ground up. - A genuinely different model: Kindred’s credit-based, non-commercial home-swapping model is structurally distinct from existing travel lodging categories, contributing to sustainable tourism objectives. - Path to leadership: As the company and function grow, this role offers the opportunity to greater leadership. - Competitive compensation: Base plus meaningful equity in a growth-stage company. OUR BENEFITS At Kindred, we know that good things happen when we look out for one another. We offer a thoughtful, human-first benefits package designed to support health, wellbeing, and connection. Our openings may span more than one career level. The base salary offered depends on factors such as experience, transferable skills, business needs, impact, and market data. - Competitive cash compensation and equity - Comprehensive health benefits - Flexible time off, plus 12 paid holidays per year - 21 credits per year to stay in Kindred homes - $4,000 annual travel stipend to help offset travel-related costs - Remote-first and remote-flexible work environment, with opportunities to work from anywhere and gather in person, including at Kindred HQ in San Francisco - Regular team and company offsites to connect, collaborate, and build together - A vibrant, inclusive, and highly skilled team that ferociously protects team chemistry - A culture of high standards, feedback, and continual growth We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. Kindred does not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, family care or medical leave status, marital status, domestic partner status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by US federal, state or local laws, or the laws of the country or jurisdiction where you work. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.