Head of Global Government Affairs

Head of Global Government Affairs at Snowflake.

About the role Snowflake is on the lookout for a Head of Global Government Affairs to spearhead its international government relations initiatives.

This pivotal role encompasses the development of strategic frameworks, the management of a diverse global team, and engagement with high-ranking government officials and industry leaders to promote Snowflake's objectives in regulated sectors.

The position integrates technology strategy with public policy and business development, emphasizing the importance of shaping future regulatory landscapes and nurturing enduring partnerships.

• Location:
  
  US-VA-McLean (Washington D.C. area)
• Engagement:
  Full-Time
• Compensation: $324,000 - $425,200
• Team:
  Office of the CEO

• Formulate and execute Snowflake's comprehensive global government affairs strategy, ensuring alignment with the company's annual business goals.
• Lead a global team while coordinating with external lobbyists, trade associations, and advisory firms across multiple regions.
• Serve as the primary government affairs representative for 2-3 major regulated initiatives, providing political insights and collaborating closely with sales teams.
• Propel business growth in regulated industries such as national security, defense, intelligence, and sovereign cloud solutions.
• Oversee the federal lobbying program, establishing advocacy objectives and engaging directly on key business issues.
• Track and assess policy developments in areas like AI governance, data sovereignty, federal IT procurement, and cloud security to shape favorable outcomes.
• Represent Snowflake at significant government and technology policy gatherings worldwide, crafting position papers and strategic narratives.
• Manage the Ambassador Program along with Snowflake's political contributions and event sponsorship strategies.

• A minimum of 15 years of experience across at least two domains: government, government affairs, public policy, national security, strategic business development, or international relations, particularly within the technology sector.
• Proven track record in developing strategies, leading teams, and achieving results in complex and uncertain environments.
• In-depth understanding of the U.S. federal legislative and regulatory frameworks, EU digital policies (including the AI Act, Data Act, GDPR), and familiarity with at least one other significant jurisdiction (such as the UK, APAC, or the Middle East).
• A well-established senior-level network within the U.S. federal government (including Congress, the Executive Branch, and the Department of Defense/Intelligence Community), as well as in at least one major international market and key industry and policy organizations.
• Demonstrated success in identifying and cultivating long-term opportunities in regulated markets (such as sovereign cloud, national security, and defense), effectively translating policy into commercial strategies.
• Experience in managing retained lobbyists, trade associations, and advisory firms, including oversight of performance and budgetary considerations.
• Ability to lead and hold accountable a geographically dispersed senior team while remaining actively involved as a practitioner and direct lobbyist.
• Strong executive presence, adept at engaging with heads of state, cabinet members, C-suite executives, and military leaders.
• Excellent communication skills for producing board-ready policy briefs, talking points, and intelligence summaries tailored for diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with AI governance, data sovereignty, federal cloud procurement, and security frameworks (including FedRAMP, DoD IL4/IL5/IL6, ITAR, EU AI Act, GDPR, NIS2, NATO cloud accreditation, and Protected-B), with the ability to integrate these into commercial strategies.

• Experience in establishing or assessing a corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) program.
• Background in or collaboration with federal IT procurement, public sector initiatives, or defense contracting.
• Exposure to policy matters in APAC regions, including Japan, Australia, and Singapore.
• Previous experience within or in partnership with the Intelligence Community or national security sectors.
• Active U.S. security clearance, UK clearance, or NATO Secret accreditation.

• AI governance
• Data sovereignty
• Federal cloud procurement
• FedRAMP
• DoD IL4/IL5/IL6
• ITAR
• EU AI Act
• GDPR
• NIS2
• NATO cloud accreditation
• Protected-B

This position is located in the Washington D.C. area.

Snowflake seeks individuals who are innovative thinkers, curious, and willing to experiment in their problem-solving approaches.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a dynamic environment and be committed to advancing Snowflake's mission through effective government engagement.