National Security Policy, Senior Manager

scaleai

Washington, DC · Washington · United States

Posted Aug 12, 2026

Full-time
Policy

Job description

At Scale, we believe that AI will dramatically improve the world, and our mission is to accelerate the development of AI. As Scale continues to grow its Government Relations function, we are looking for a National Security Policy Senior Manager to support our engagements with the National Security apparatus, Congress, and the Administration.

The successful candidate will have a track record of contributing to successful policy outcomes and the ability to help translate business objectives into effective policy engagement, working closely with and reporting to Scale's National Security Policy Lead.

You will:

Support Scale's AI policy engagement with the National Security apparatus
Work with the Public Sector Business Unit to help shape and support programs at the DoD, Intelligence Agencies, and beyond, contributing to efforts around funding lines, requirements, and other items in support of growing our business
Contribute to the formation and execution of Scale's policy strategy and priorities
Coordinate internal collaboration with the Public Sector Business Unit (PSBU), to include contributing to workflow improvements for cross-functional efforts and building templates and playbooks for recurring internal processes
Prepare briefing materials, memos, and talking points to support senior leader engagements and Scale leadership's own external engagements, such as meetings, conferences, and public forums
Own stakeholder and relationship tracking to support long-term engagement planning, including post-engagement follow-through
Provide administrative support with external consultants and advisors, as well as for executive engagements and travel
Draft internal updates and synthesized analysis on policy announcements, legislative changes, and relevant national security developments — distilling what key developments mean for Scale's business and priorities — on a recurring cadence or as major news arises
Develop and maintain a national security policy calendar and roadmap, tracking key milestones such as PPBE timelines, DoD budget and program decision points, senior leadership transitions, and other relevant executive branch actions
Support engagements with industry trade associations, think tanks, and other relevant external groups on behalf of the Company
Monitor policy and regulatory changes for potential impact to Scale's business

Ideally you'd have:

5-8 years experience in defense policy, government, defense tech, or the broader defense industry
Experience contributing to or supporting consensus-building at trade associations, standards bodies, or similar venues
Experience supporting company responses to rulemakings, requests for comment, or similar processes
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Previous technical experience such as research/peer-reviewed publication, covering technology policy as an issue area within Government, working at a technical Government agency within the Executive Branch, or experience in the technology sector
A track record of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously

Nice to haves:

History working within a startup environment or tech company

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.

The base salary range for this full-time position in the location of Washington DC is:

$170,400—$205,000 USD

PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.

About Us:

At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.

We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@scale.com. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.

We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision.

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