Director of Communications

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with Beltway reporters. Own regular outreach to relevant reporters at POLITICO, Semafor, Axios, Puck, and Punchbowl, particularly as we prepare for Flock to become a hot-button congressional issue. Get beyond introductions. Learn what they are working on, answer substantive questions, and make sure they understand the company, our products, and our safeguards.
• Prepare for congressional scrutiny. Work with government affairs and legal to identify likely lines of questioning and build answers around them. Have facts, messages, and a response process ready before a letter lands or a reporter calls.
• Connect policy developments to communications. Understand which proposals and congressional actions could affect the business or generate coverage. Turn that into clear guidance for leadership, reporter outreach, and executive preparation.
• Handle the daily execution. Draft responses, brief reporters, prepare executives, follow up, and stay on top of developing stories. The experienced person we hire needs to be the person doing the work.
• Collaborate closely with Government Affairs and Legal. Alignment is always your north star. Bringing groups and teams together internally and externally to serve one mission: informed, clear legislation around LPR and drone technology that creates safer communities.
• You will report into the VP of Communications. This role is a senior, high visibility individual contributor role - you will manage external resources and agencies to help you. You will also potentially flex into non-DC focused work, including crisis, corporate, and product communications – as needed.

Requirements

• 8-10 years of communications, media relations, or PR leadership experience, with a heavy focus on DC, congressional issues + hearings, and policy communications. Must also be able to flex into having strong judgment and leadership skills across various and corporate issues, as well.
• Strong executive presence with experience media training and advising C-suite leaders.
• Strong existing relationships with DC and Beltway press. If not, you’re scrappy and hungry and willing to find ways in with editors, reporters, and have a muscle for quickly building those relationships.