Head of Goverment Relations - EU

The role

You will lead engagement with European and national governments, institutions, and defence stakeholders. You will develop government relations strategy and translate political developments into business strategies.

What you will do

• Develop and execute European government relations strategy
• Build and maintain relationships with senior decision-makers across European governments and EU institutions
• Represent interests in policy, regulatory, funding, procurement, and defence-industry discussions
• Monitor and analyse European and national developments in defence policy and security
• Translate political and regulatory developments into strategic recommendations
• Identify opportunities to shape policy discussions
• Coordinate participation in government, industry, policy, and defence forums
• Work with Sales, Business Development, Strategy, Legal, Product, and Leadership teams
• Support discussions around European defence procurement and funding programmes
• Prepare senior-level briefings, policy positions, and engagement plans

Required qualifications

• Significant experience in government relations, public affairs, government affairs, policy, diplomacy, or a closely related field
• Strong understanding of European defence and security policy, institutions, and decision-making processes
• Established network across European governments, defence ministries, public-sector organisations, EU institutions, or relevant industry stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior political, governmental, military, and industry decision-makers
• Strong understanding of defence procurement, defence policy, security technology, or the European defence industry
• Ability to monitor complex policy developments and translate them into strategic and commercial implications
• Excellent communication, negotiation, advocacy, and stakeholder-management skills
• Strong political judgement, discretion, and ability to operate in sensitive environments
• Ability to work effectively with senior leadership and cross-functional teams
• Fluent English language skills, both written and spoken
• Willingness to travel regularly across Europe

Nice to have

• German and/or another major European language

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package including a bonus opportunity
• 27 vacation days to start, increasing with tenure up to 30 days
• Employer-supported pension contribution
• Learning & development support
• Team events budget
• Employee discounts and flexible benefits budget via Probonio
• Hybrid working setup
• Structured salary bands, levelling framework, and bi-annual development conversations
• Referral bonus program
• Dog-friendly office
• Relocation support where applicable

About the company

ARX is a dual-use technology company that specializes in developing autonomous unmanned systems and sensors for the European defence sector. The team is dedicated to developing autonomous systems for challenging environments.