# Head of Government Relations

- Company: [Solcoa](<https://jobstar.asia/company/solcoa>)
- Location: Washington, D\.C\. · Alameda, California
- Team: Corporate
- Employment type: Full Time
- Salary: $200K – $300K
- Posted: May 29, 2026

## Job description

## Making the Metals Powering the World

Solcoa is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths — the metals of power and motion. We've developed a new chemistry that converts rare earth oxides into high-purity metals — the materials inside every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, and data center — cleaner, cheaper, and faster than any conventional process. Now we're scaling it to thousands of tonnes of annual production.

## Why this role, and why now

The policy moment for this company is the largest one in a generation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act put roughly $8 billion of capital behind the U.S. critical minerals industrial base — $5B of the new Industrial Base Fund carved out for critical minerals, $2B for the National Defense Stockpile, $500M of OSC credit subsidy translating into billions of loan authority, and $1B of fresh DPA Title III appropriation through FY2027. DFARS 252.225-7052 takes effect on January 1, 2027, banning Chinese rare earth magnets from the U.S. defense supply chain.

Solcoa has to win in this environment. We're hiring a Head of Government Relations to make sure we do. This person will own our entire government-facing surface area, and will report directly to the CEO.

## What you'll do

* **Own Solcoa's federal strategy end-to-end** — across the executive branch, the Hill, and the agencies that matter most to the critical minerals industrial base.
* **Build and maintain relationships** with the policymakers, staffers, and operators whose decisions shape our market.
* **Pursue and structure government-backed financing and procurement opportunities** as they emerge.
* **Track and shape the trade and industrial policy landscape** — China export controls, allied-sourcing frameworks, defense supply chain rules — and translate it into commercial advantage for Solcoa.
* **Engage at the state and local level** where it matters, including California.
* **Work with the BD and lobbying team** to turn policy momentum into customer wins.

## Who you are

We're looking for someone early-to-mid career who has already done real work in this space and is ready to own a function. Specifically:

* 5–10 years in federal policy, lobbying, or government — some combination of executive branch (DoD, DOE, Commerce, USTR, NSC, NEC), the Hill (SASC, HASC, ENR, Natural Resources, Select Committee on China), a top think tank (CSIS, CNAS, SAFE), or a critical-minerals-focused government affairs practice.
* Real working knowledge of DPA Title III, the OSC, DFARS, and how DoD writes critical-minerals contracts. You don't need to have closed one of these deals yourself, but you need to know exactly who to call and what diligence looks like.
* The instinct of a founder, not a staffer. You want to build a function from scratch, not inherit one. You'd rather close a deal than write a memo about closing a deal.
* A strong point of view on China, critical minerals, and the defense industrial base you can defend.
* D.C.-based, with a willingness to travel to our Alameda facility at least monthly.

## **What we offer**

* Competitive base salary.
* A meaningful equity package.
* Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
* Relocation support.
* Access to an office in DC.
* Visa sponsorship available if needed.

## Apply

[Apply on Solcoa](<https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/solcoa/e48f983b-07ce-4c58-9e9b-28d9888fd7d3>)

Canonical job page: <https://jobstar.asia/job/head-of-government-relations-solcoa-washington-928162695c670d65>
