DC Government Affairs Strategist

WindBorne Systems is supercharging weather forecasts with a unique proprietary data source: a global constellation of next-generation smart weather balloons targeting the most critical atmospheric data. We design, manufacture, and operate our own balloons, using the data they collect to generate otherwise unattainable weather intelligence. Our mission is to eliminate weather uncertainty, and in the process help humanity adapt to climate change, be that predicting hurricanes or speeding the adoption of renewables. We are building a future in which the planet is instrumented by thousands of our microballoons, eliminating gaps in our understanding of the planet and giving people and businesses the information they need to make critical decisions. The founding team of Stanford engineers was named Forbes 2019 30 under 30 and is backed by top-tier investors, including Khosla Ventures and Footwork VC. WindBorne’s technology already serves government customers across defense, intelligence, and civil agencies, and we’re growing fast in these spaces. What we don’t have yet is someone in DC who is already plugged into the agencies and offices that matter for us, tracking what’s shifting, and making sure we’re in the right rooms early. Think of this as a scout and strategist role. You’ll spend your time deepening relationships across agencies, the Hill, think tanks, and defense circles, synthesizing what you’re hearing into insights that help our leadership make better decisions. Half your brain is learning WindBorne, half is reading DC, and the job is connecting the two. We already work with lobbying firms for direct advocacy. This role is about strategic intelligence, network-building, and making sure WindBorne sees what’s coming. We’re open on structure; this could start as a part-time advisory engagement and grow into a full-time role as the workload and fit justify it. RESPONSIBILITIES - Build and maintain a network across defense, intelligence, and civil agencies (NOAA, NASA, DOE, DHS), Capitol Hill, think tanks, and industry - Gather early signals on policy shifts, procurement changes, budget dynamics, and personnel moves relevant to WindBorne’s government customers and prospects - Synthesize what you’re hearing into concise, actionable briefings for leadership - Coordinate across our existing government advisors, lobbyists, and consultants so efforts aren’t siloed or duplicated - Identify and vet potential advisory board members, partners, and hires from your network - Spot emerging opportunities (e.g., new programs, shifting priorities, upcoming solicitations) and help us position early SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS - Deep, active DC network spanning at least two of: defense/intelligence, civil agencies, Capitol Hill, think tanks, industry - Former government experience. This could be NSC, DoD, a combatant command, NOAA, DHS, intelligence community, Hill staff, or similar. The specific agency matters less than the quality of your network and your understanding of how government actually works - Intellectual curiosity and strong judgement over narrow domain expertise. You’ll need to learn WindBorne’s technology and figure out where it fits across very different use cases - Ability to synthesize complex, ambiguous information into clear insights quickly - Comfortable operating independently with minimal direction—we’ll give you context on WindBorne’s priorities, but you’re the one who knows DC - Nice to have: familiarity with weather, remote sensing, or environmental intelligence; experience bridging startups and government; existing relationships at NOAA, NGA, or combatant commands BENEFITS - 401(k) - Dental insurance - Health insurance - Vision insurance - Unlimited PTO - Stock Option Plan - Office food and beverages Salary - Dependent on structure (advisory/part-time vs. full-time). Competitive with market rates for comparable DC-based government strategy roles. LOCATION Washington, DC. Remote, with occasional travel to WindBorne HQ in Redwood City, CA.