Mediabistro logo
job logo

Government Relations

NOX METALS, Detroit, MI, United States


Government Relations | Nox Metals | Detroit, MI

American factories deserve a supply chain that moves as fast as they do. The next generation of American manufacturing is being built right now. Nox Metals is the supply chain behind it.

Nox Metals is a technology company in Detroit supplying aluminum plate, bar, and rounds to aerospace and defense manufacturers. We use software and automation to supply metal to American factories faster than the industry thought possible.

We need a Government Relations leader to own every relationship, every program, and every policy lever that touches Nox in Washington. The defense industrial base is being rebuilt right now, and Nox is one of the companies it is being rebuilt around. You are the person who makes sure the Pentagon, the Hill, and the executive branch know who we are and what we are building, while staying close to the floor in Detroit where the work actually happens. Nox Metals is an employer with real opportunity for long‑term career growth, this is a place to build a career, not just hold a job.

You will:

Own government relations end to end across DoD, the broader executive branch, the Hill, and aligned ecosystem partners

Build and run relationships across the Pentagon, OSD, the services, DPA Title III, OSC, DIU, the Cornerstone OTA, and adjacent vehicles

Pursue non‑dilutive capital, grants, and contracting pathways across the defense industrial base ecosystem

Track and shape industrial base policy, Section 232, tariffs, reindustrialization initiatives, critical materials policy, and aluminum‑specific actions

Engage on the Hill across the relevant committees, armed services, appropriations, finance, small business, and member offices in Michigan and key defense states

Lead Nox engagement with primes, tier 1s, and program offices on government‑driven program needs

Build coalitions with aligned defense‑tech, reindustrialization, and manufacturing companies and trade groups

Manage outside lobbying counsel, consultants, and any government‑facing law firms when we use them

Translate policy and program requirements back into clear actions for the operations, supply chain, and software teams

Prepare materials for government audiences, briefings, capability statements, white papers, RFIs, and program responses

Lead Nox participation in industry days, program briefings, and government site visits to our facility

Manage Nox's posture on ITAR, EAR, FAR, DFARS, FOCI, and any compliance work tied to government engagement

Bring the customer's voice from DC and the Pentagon back to the team in Detroit every single day

Travel regularly between Detroit and DC, the relationships are in DC and the company is in Detroit

Bring ideas from your background that nobody on the team has thought of yet

Always ask questions, never guess when something is unclear

Look at every program and policy lever and figure out how to make it work harder for Nox

Work safely on every floor you visit and hold yourself to the same standard we hold our team to

You should be:

5+ years of government relations, defense industrial base, policy, or comparable experience working with DoD, the executive branch, and the Hill

Deep relationships across the Pentagon, the services, OSD, and relevant program offices

Fluent in DPA Title III, OSC, OTAs (including Cornerstone), DIU, and the broader non‑dilutive defense capital landscape

Experienced engaging on industrial base policy, Section 232, tariffs, critical materials, and reindustrialization initiatives

Comfortable on the Hill, in the Pentagon, in industry coalitions, and on a factory floor in Detroit

Strong writer, every memo, white paper, capability statement, and RFI response is sharp and accurate

Cracked with AI tools, modern software, and data, you build a government relations function that runs like a startup, not a beltway shop

Tightly partnered with software teams in past roles, comfortable writing specs, filing tickets, and shaping the tools you use

High attention to quality, every brief, every meeting, every commitment

Always thinking about how to make processes better, you do not accept "this is how we have always done it"

Absolutely customer obsessed, the Pentagon and the program offices are real customers and you treat them that way

A team player with a good attitude, you make the company better for everyone around you

Someone who takes ownership, if it touches government, it is your responsibility

Precise under pressure and reliable

Organized enough to run dozens of relationships, programs, and policy threads at once without dropping one

Committed to safety, you follow every protocol on every floor and never cut corners that put people at risk

High agency, you handle big items alone and ask for help when needed

Low ego, you walk the floor in Detroit, you sit through long meetings in DC, you do the unglamorous work because it needs to get done

Willing and able to travel between Detroit and DC frequently

Not afraid to work outside normal hours when America demands it

Never says "that's not my job"

Nice to have:

Prior experience inside DoD, OSD, a service acquisition office, the Hill, or a defense prime's government relations team

Background working on DPA Title III awards, OTA agreements, or OSC lending authority programs

Direct experience supporting an early‑stage defense or industrial company through government engagement and non‑dilutive capital

Network across Michigan, the broader Midwest, and the American manufacturing and defense ecosystem

Comfortable using AI tools to work faster and smarter

This role is full‑time, in person in Detroit.

#J-18808-Ljbffr