Government Relations Lead

About the role

ABOUT PILGRIM: Pilgrim is building America’s biology prime - engineering, manufacturing, and deploying advanced biotechnology for defense and national security. Our primary platform, ARGUS, is a fully autonomous system for detecting biological threats in near real time, from naturally occurring pathogens to engineered agents. We engineer hardware for biology, turning breakthrough science into fielded capabilities. Based in Redwood City, our team brings together mechanical and electrical engineering, chemistry, and biology under one roof to deliver critical technologies to the people who need them. ABOUT THE ROLE: As the Government Relations Lead at Pilgrim, you’ll own our federal lobbying, authorization, and appropriations strategy. You’ll build relationships with congressional offices and agency leaders, draft funding requests and legislative language, and personally advance Pilgrim’s priorities on the Hill. You’ll secure the policy support and funding needed to develop and deploy our technology. Pilgrim has raised over $30 million to date and is backed by Peter Thiel, Brian Armstrong, Fred Ehrsam, Dylan Field, and Bryan Johnson, alongside Buckley Ventures, Conviction, Cantos, and others. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Develop and execute Pilgrim’s federal lobbying, authorization, and appropriations strategy, translating company priorities into specific legislative and funding objectives. - Maintain an active presence on Capitol Hill, building relationships with congressional offices and committee staff and personally advancing Pilgrim’s requests. - Draft funding requests, proposed bill and report language, policy briefs, and supporting materials for congressional and agency audiences. - Build congressional support for funding and legislative requests, track submissions and deadlines, and follow priorities through committee and final bill consideration. - Engage agency policy, budget, and program officials to connect legislative support with budget requests, program plans, and implementation. - Monitor legislation, hearings, budget proposals, and agency policy changes; recommend specific actions to protect or advance Pilgrim’s priorities. - Organize congressional briefings, facility visits, and technology demonstrations with leadership, Government Operations, and technical teams. QUALIFICATIONS: - Experience on Capitol Hill, in a federal policy or budget role, or in federal government relations. - Demonstrated results securing authorization language, appropriations funding, or federal policy changes. - Working knowledge of federal budget formulation, authorization and appropriations processes, and how congressional and agency decisions affect program funding. - Established relationships with congressional offices, relevant committee staff, or agency policy and budget officials. - Ability to independently draft funding requests, legislative or report language, and concise policy briefs. - Must be a U.S. Person. PREFERRED: - Experience with the NDAA, defense or homeland security appropriations, biotechnology policy, or building a government relations function. Pilgrim is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Certain positions require access to export-controlled information and are limited to U.S. Persons as defined by applicable export control regulations.