Director, Federal Policy
Axon
Washington
Join Axon and be a Force for Good.
At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other. Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.
Your Impact
Axon exists to protect life. Our technologies — from TASER devices to body worn cameras to AI-powered software — are reshaping how law enforcement operates and how agencies keep communities safe. As Director of Federal Policy, you will be the strategic quarterback at the center of Axon's federal engagement: mapping our assets, aligning our engagements, and driving a coordinated approach that positions Axon as the trusted technology partner for the agencies that matter most. This isn't a traditional lobbying role. We're looking for someone who brings their own strategic instincts, knows how to connect dots across a complex organization, and has a deep understanding of federal law enforcement culture, Congressional stakeholders, and how technology gets adopted. You'll sit inside the legal organization, closely embed with the business, and engage frequently with Axon's executive team in order to serve as Axon's most important federal convener. This is an individual contributor role: you will lead through expertise, relationships, and influence rather than direct reports.
What You’ll Do
- Drive federal strategy. Develop and own a multi-year federal government affairs strategy that advances Axon's priorities across the executive branch and relevant Congressional committees in order to support our top policy issues. Tie the work to Axon's mission and business results.
- Take stock and map the field. Conduct a systematic audit of Axon's federal relationships — internal champions, external advisors, agency allies, Hill contacts, and third-party partners — and build a living picture of our assets and gaps.
- Quarterback policy engagement. Coordinate across Axon's legal, communications, product, sales and executive teams to ensure our efforts are unified, strategic, and non-duplicative. You are the connective tissue.
- Cultivate and leverage relationships. Build and maintain a high-quality network of relationships with senior officials, Congressional staff, and relevant organizations. Know who matters and where their interests overlap with Axon’s mission and products.
- Navigate the law enforcement landscape. Bring genuine fluency in how law enforcement adopts technology and how policy from the hill and the white house can help support the law enforcement community.
- Win Right. Ensure all federal engagement meets the highest ethical and compliance standards.
- Manage external consultants and advisors. Direct and coordinate a network of outside government affairs firms, ensuring alignment and accountability across all federal engagement activities.
- Monitor and analyze the policy environment. Track legislative, regulatory, and executive branch developments relevant to Axon's business. Translate what's happening in Washington into clear, actionable intelligence for internal decision-makers.
- Represent Axon externally. Serve as a credible, compelling voice for Axon at federal conferences, industry forums, and stakeholder meetings — clearly articulating our mission, our technology, and our value to the agencies we serve.
- Connect policy to outcomes. Tie federal engagement to Axon's mission and business results, such as policy wins and agency adoption, and report progress to leadership.
What You Bring
~10+ years of relevant experience, with a track record in public service across senior staff, government affairs, or policy roles that reflect the depth above.Deep Hill roots in the right committees. You've spent meaningful time — as staff, counsel, or legislative aide — on the House or Senate Homeland Security, Judiciary, or Armed Services Committees, or equivalent executive branch roles at DOJ or DHS. You know how these committees work, who the key players are, and how to move things through the legislative process.
- A practitioner, not just a participant. You've run hill strategies, passed bills, influenced policy — not watched them from the sidelines. You know what it takes to build bipartisan, bicameral coalitions to get outcomes that matter to a business.
- Genuine law enforcement fluency. You understand the culture, priorities, and operational realities of federal law enforcement and how these agencies evaluate and adopt technology.
- Real strategic horsepower. You don't just execute; you set the strategy others execute against. You generate ideas, anticipate moves, and see around corners.
- A bias for action and outcomes. You measure success in mission outcomes, not meetings attended.
- A connector and coordinator. You instinctively map relationships — who knows whom, who has influence where, what the leverage points are — and you're skilled at bringing those connections together in service of a strategic objective.
Benefits that Benefit You
- Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
- Discretionary paid time off
- Paid parental leave for all
- Medical, Dental, Vision plans
- Fitness Programs
- Emotional & Mental Wellness support
- Learning & Development programs
Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work
Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, geographic market, and often a combination of all these factors. Our benefits offer an array of options to help support you physically, financially and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. To see more details on our benefits offerings please visit https://www.axon.com/careers.
Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.
Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Important Notes
The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.
Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.
We collect personal information from applicants to evaluate candidates for employment. You may request access, deletion, or exercise other CCPA rights at [email protected] or via our Axon Privacy Web Form. For more information, please see the Your California Privacy Rights section of our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.
Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.
We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We’re committed to hiring the best talent — regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances — and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email [email protected]. Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.
Phishing alert: Axon will never ask you to pay for any part of the hiring process, including training, equipment, or background checks. We do not make job offers via text message, WhatsApp, or instant messaging platforms without a formal interview process. All legitimate job openings are listed on our official careers page at https://www.axon.com/careers. If you receive a suspicious offer or outreach from an email address that is not @axon.com, or if you are asked for sensitive personal information (bank details, Social Security Number) prematurely, please ignore the message and report it to [email protected].
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