Head of Government Affairs

Verkada is entering a transformative phase of growth in the public sector. This is our first dedicated public sector leadership hire — a foundational role responsible for personally opening doors with government stakeholders across Federal and State/Local/Education (SLED) markets, shaping the policy and procurement environment in our favor. The role will start as an individual contributor and will have the ability to build a team in the future to scale that access into a repeatable sales motion. This position reports directly to the VP of Public Sector and is foundational in nature: there is no existing team or playbook. You will build both, starting with your own relationships and credibility, and are expected to be the ultimate door opener for Verkada in government.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain senior relationships across priority Federal and SLED targets; Shape policy and procurement conversations in Verkada's favor, including advocating for funding and appropriations such as school safety grants; Develop the government sales playbook based on real, on-the-ground experience; Identify and engage external partners such as lobbyists, consultants, and procurement specialists; Partner with Sales to unlock procurement pathways, navigate agency-specific requirements, and support account-level strategy on active pursuits; Track legislative and regulatory developments relevant to Verkada's roadmap including AI governance, data privacy, and data security programs; Partner with Legal to ensure all government-facing activity meets ethics and disclosure standards; Begin as an individual contributor opening doors and later hire and structure a team covering Civilian, DoD/DoW, Federal, and State & Local

Requirements

Proven door opener with real, personal senior-level relationships across government; Direct experience shaping policy or procurement outcomes in favor of a company or product; Background in enterprise technology or SaaS selling into government; Experience in both Federal and SLED markets, or a clear, credible plan for the side you know less well; Demonstrated ability to build and lead a team, with prior people-management and hiring experience; Comfort operating as an individual contributor and relationship-builder in the first year of the role, transitioning to a strategic team leader after proving out the function; Must be independently authorized to work in the U.S.; unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time

Nice to have

Cloud; cybersecurity; platform software

Benefits

Healthcare programs with premiums 100% covered for employee under at least one plan and 80% for family premiums under all plans; Nationwide medical, vision and dental coverage; Health Savings Account (HSA) with annual employer contributions and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with tax saving options; Expanded mental health support; Paid parental leave policy & fertility benefits; Paid holidays, firmwide extended holidays, flexible PTO and personal sick time; Professional development stipend; Wellness/fitness benefits; Healthy lunches provided daily; Commuter benefits; Sales incentives, discretionary bonuses, and/or equity in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs)