Director, Government & Strategic Affairs (UK & Europe)

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

Role Overview

Saronic is establishing a long-term presence in the UK and Europe to support the delivery of next-generation autonomous maritime capability, sovereign industrial capacity, and defence innovation. As part of this expansion, Saronic is seeking a Director, Government & Strategic Affairs to help shape the political, regulatory, and strategic environment required to accelerate maritime autonomy adoption in the UK and support Saronic’s broader European growth strategy. Reporting to the UK & Europe Lead, the Director, Government & Strategic Affairs (UK & Europe) will represent Saronic’s interests before His Majesty’s Government, Parliament, the Ministry of Defence, trade bodies, regulators, and other key stakeholders. The role will be central to supporting Saronic’s UK growth strategy while helping coordinate government engagement and strategic affairs activity across select European markets.

Responsibilities

• Developing and executing government engagement and public policy strategies that support Saronic’s long-term business objectives in the UK and Europe.
• Supporting Saronic’s positioning within UK defence, industrial, regulatory, and innovation strategies, including engagement across MOD, Royal Navy, DE&S, Dstl, DfT, DBT, Treasury, Cabinet Office, and associated stakeholders.
• Leading engagement on regulatory, legislative, and policy matters related to maritime autonomy, defence innovation, and sovereign capability development.
• Supporting the development of regulatory and policy frameworks required for autonomous maritime operations in the UK.
• Identifying, shaping, and supporting strategic opportunities that enable Saronic to win, maintain, and grow business across defence and adjacent sectors.
• Providing political, regulatory, and strategic advice to senior leadership to inform business planning, market strategy, and investment decisions.
• Supporting company executives in their engagement, profile building, and relationship management with Government, Parliament, military leadership, and industry stakeholders.
• Representing the company before government officials, parliamentarians, industry bodies, regulators, academic institutions, and strategic partners.
• Working closely with Growth, Legal, Corporate Development, Communications, Mission Operations, Engineering, and external advisers to align political engagement with broader business priorities.
• Coordinating with Saronic’s global government relations and growth teams to ensure alignment across UK, European, and wider international initiatives.
• Supporting the development and coordination of government relations strategies across select European markets, including management of external advisers, consultancies, and strategic stakeholder engagement efforts.

This role will work closely with colleagues across Growth and associated business lines while serving as the lead for UK government and strategic affairs activity and supporting the coordination of strategic engagement efforts across Europe.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience in government affairs, public policy, defence strategy, public affairs, or related fields.
• Experience developing and executing government engagement strategies within complex or highly regulated sectors.
• Established networks across UK Government, Parliament, Defence, national security, and associated industry stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of UK Government decision-making, defence procurement, industrial policy, and legislative processes.
• Experience advising senior executives on political, regulatory, defence, or strategic risk matters.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality briefing materials, policy papers, and executive-level communications.
• Strong organisational and stakeholder management capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-moving, high-growth environment with sound judgement and attention to detail.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain UK Security Check (SC) clearance.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Preferred Experience

• Experience within the defence, maritime, aerospace, autonomy, AI, dual-use technology, or national security sectors.
• Familiarity with UK defence acquisition, sovereign capability development, and defence industrial strategy.
• Experience engaging with organisations such as MOD, Royal Navy, DE&S, Dstl, DfT, NSO, DBT, Treasury, Cabinet Office, NATO, or AUKUS-related stakeholders.
• Exposure to European government affairs, defence policy, or multinational stakeholder engagement environments.
• Experience managing external advisers, consultancies, or strategic government affairs partners across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience operating within a high-growth technology or venture-backed environment.

You should be comfortable operating at the intersection of policy, technology, defence capability, and commercial strategy. This role requires initiative, strong judgement, excellent relationship management skills, and the ability to translate complex political and regulatory environments into actionable business outcomes. You will join a fast-moving team working to redefine maritime capability through autonomy, advanced manufacturing, and scalable technology.

Benefits

• Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success.
• Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses.
• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive private health insurance.
• Time Off: Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays.
• Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents.

This role requires the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Employment may also be subject to applicable security, export control, and government contracting requirements.