Head of Government Relations & Partnerships

Reports to: CEO
Location: Middleburg, VA

Sandboxx is a full life cycle platform serving the military community from the beginning of the military journey through service and beyond. Our work supports service members, their families, and the commands and institutions that surround them. We operate at a national scale, serve millions of users each year, and sit at the intersection of military life, technology, media, and community.

Our most valuable strategic asset is access to the military community at the moment of accession into service. That access drives early and significant revenue and creates the foundation for the products and services we deliver across every phase of military life.

We are hiring a Head of Government Relations & Partnerships to lead Sandboxx's external engagement strategy across government, military, and nonprofit stakeholders. This is both a growth role and a durability role. We need a hunter who can open new doors across the services, the Department of War, and Congress, and an institutional operator who can protect and expand the relationships that already power the business.

About the Role

We are hiring a Head of Government Relations & Partnerships to lead Sandboxx's external engagement strategy across government, military, nonprofit, and community stakeholders.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you'll serve as the company's lead for government relations, public affairs, partnerships with the non-commercial military ecosystem, and external engagement.

This role sits at the intersection of policy, business development, partnerships, and ecosystem strategy.

You'll build relationships with congressional offices, Department of War stakeholders, military and veteran service organizations, military family advocacy groups, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations that share our mission of supporting service members and their families.

Success in this role is measured by outcomes, not activity. We are looking for someone who can translate relationships into partnerships, partnerships into tangible opportunities, and opportunities into measurable impact for the business and the military community we serve.

Why We Are Hiring For This Role Now

Sandboxx has grown from a single-product company into a multi-product platform serving the military-connected community across communications, media, readiness, and community engagement.

As we continue to scale, we see significant opportunities to deepen our relationships with:

• Congressional and government stakeholders
• Department of War and military commands
• Military family readiness organizations
• Veteran service organizations
• Recruiting and personnel-focused organizations
• Military-focused nonprofits and advocacy groups
• Educational institutions serving the military community

We need a dedicated leader who can identify those opportunities, build trust with key stakeholders, and position Sandboxx as a trusted partner within the broader military ecosystem.

Scope of Responsibility

This role owns all government relations and strategic partnership activities across the non-commercial military ecosystem, including:

• Government relations (congressional, DoW, VA, military commands)
• Partnerships with nonprofits, VSOs, advocacy organizations, and educational institutions
• Public affairs and thought leadership
• Strategic intelligence on policy, landscape, and ecosystem trends

Note: Commercial partnerships (paying brands, sponsorships, integrated programs) are owned by the Brand Partnerships Manager role and carry a separate revenue number and pipeline.

What You'll Own

Government Relations

• Develop and maintain relationships with congressional offices, committee staff, Department of War stakeholders, military commands, Veterans Affairs, and other government entities relevant to Sandboxx's mission
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and policy developments affecting military families, recruiting, retention, quality of life, military spouse employment, veteran transition, and related issues
• Represent Sandboxx in discussions with policymakers, government officials, and military stakeholders
• Identify opportunities for Sandboxx to participate in policy conversations and initiatives that align with our mission and values
• Prepare leadership for meetings with government officials and external stakeholders through briefing materials, talking points, strategic recommendations, and stakeholder intelligence

Strategic Partnerships (Non-Commercial)

• Develop and manage partnerships with military nonprofits, veteran service organizations, advocacy groups, educational institutions, and other organizations serving military-connected audiences
• Identify partnership opportunities that expand Sandboxx's reach, strengthen our products, increase user engagement, or support our strategic mission
• Build repeatable partnership frameworks that create long-term value and measurable impact rather than one-off sponsorships or transactional relationships
• Partner closely with Product, Marketing, Community, and News teams to ensure strategic partnerships support broader company objectives and drive product adoption or user engagement

External Affairs & Thought Leadership

• Help position Sandboxx as a leading voice in conversations surrounding military families, recruiting, readiness, retention, military quality of life, and veteran transition
• Identify speaking opportunities, conferences, working groups, and industry forums where Sandboxx should have a presence
• Represent the company at key military, nonprofit, government, and advocacy events
• Build relationships with influential leaders and organizations across the military ecosystem

Strategic Intelligence

• Serve as Sandboxx's eyes and ears across the military, government, and veteran landscape
• Identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities that may impact our users, products, or strategic direction
• Provide leadership with actionable insights on developments across Congress, the Department of War, military family organizations, and the broader military ecosystem
• Help translate external developments into internal business opportunities

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 90 days, you'll:

• Build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
• Assess Sandboxx's existing government and partnership landscape
• Identify priority opportunities across government relations and strategic partnerships
• Deliver a prioritized stakeholder map with a 12-month engagement plan and clear success metrics (this will tell us early if the fit is working)

Within your first 6 months, you'll:

• Launch multiple strategic partnerships that support growth, engagement, or product adoption
• Build a durable network of relationships across government, military, nonprofit, and advocacy stakeholders
• Establish Sandboxx as an active participant in key conversations affecting military-connected audiences
• Deliver actionable intelligence and recommendations that influence company strategy, measured by decisions made or partnerships activated

Within your first year, you'll:

• Develop a repeatable external engagement strategy that supports long-term company growth
• Create measurable business impact: partnerships that drove product adoption, user reach, retention, or revenue
• Expand Sandboxx's visibility and credibility among policymakers, military leaders, and nonprofits, measured by meaningful meetings, speaking engagements, and partnership activations
• Become the trusted advisor to company leadership on matters affecting the military ecosystem

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who combines strategic thinking, relationship-building, and operational execution. You should bring:

• Prior military service or significant experience in government relations (Capitol Hill, DoW, VA, military service organizations). This role requires credibility in the military ecosystem and understanding of how defense institutions operate.
• 8+ years of experience in government relations, public affairs, strategic partnerships, or military affairs
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with government, military, nonprofit, or advocacy stakeholders
• Strong understanding of issues affecting military service members, veterans, military families, recruiting, retention, or military quality of life
• Experience navigating complex organizations and influencing without direct authority
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-management skills
• Proven ability to translate external relationships into tangible business outcomes (partnerships that drove adoption, reach, or strategy)
• Strong judgment, discretion, and executive presence
• Experience working in a startup or high-growth technology company, ideally one similar to Sandboxx in market or model, but willing to take on someone fresh from service.

Strongly Preferred

• Existing relationships across military commands, congressional offices, veterans organizations, or military family advocacy groups
• Experience in government affairs or strategic partnerships within a high-growth company or startup
• Familiarity with military recruiting, personnel, readiness, family programs, or veteran transition initiatives
• Track record of representing an organization at senior-level meetings, conferences, and public events

What You're Like

• You build trust quickly and understand military culture without being trapped by military bureaucracy.
• You know how to navigate institutions, but you're relentlessly focused on outcomes rather than process.
• You can move comfortably between congressional staff, military leaders, nonprofit executives, founders, and community advocates.
• You understand that relationships matter, but you also understand that relationships are only valuable when they create meaningful impact.
• You identify opportunities before others see them and you don't wait for invitations, you create them.
• You communicate clearly, execute independently, and take ownership from the first conversation through the final outcome.
• Most importantly, you care deeply about the military community and want to build products, partnerships, and programs that genuinely improve the lives of service members and their families.

Compensation, Benefits, and Perks

• $220K base salary
• Up to $100K in performance bonuses tied to defined revenue and partnership milestones
• Strong equity stake with direct upside in the enterprise value you help create
• 401(k) with company match
• Top-tier health coverage for you and your family
• Flexible paid time off and paid parental leave

We look for people with a good sense of humor and zest for life, especially during interviews.