Director of Government Relations, Australia
Shield AI
What You'll Do:
- Lead the design and delivery of comprehensive government relations strategies aligned with Shield AI’s mission and growth across Australia.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with key officials, MPs, advisors, and senior public servants — particularly within the Department of Defence and ADF leadership.
- Represent Shield AI at high-level meetings, parliamentary inquiries, and defence forums.
- Track and interpret legislative and regulatory developments relating to AI, defence tech, export controls, and national security.
- Prepare policy briefs, position papers and responses to consultations for internal and external audiences.
- Partner with Business Development, Legal, Product, and Engineering teams to align advocacy with technical and commercial goals.
- Lead and mentor internal stakeholders while managing external consultants and association partnerships.
What You'll Bring:
- Deep knowledge of Australian political processes, parliamentary systems, and public sector procurement — ideally within defence or emerging tech.
- Proven experience shaping public policy, influencing legislative outcomes, and representing complex organisations to senior government audiences.
- Background in government, parliament, or senior roles in defence contractors/technology firms is highly desirable.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical and regulatory nuance into compelling messages.
- Political sensitivity, discretion, and the ability to manage relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Strong leadership presence and collaborative mindset to work across internal and external teams.
Why Shield AI?
- Help shape the future of defence and autonomy in Australia and beyond.
- Be a key voice in a mission-led business redefining what’s possible with emerging technology.
- Join a growing, values-led team headquartered in Port Melbourne, with strong global partnerships and local autonomy.
- Competitive salary, performance-based incentives, and long-term growth opportunities.
- Hybrid working with regular travel as needed to Canberra and other government hubs.