Head of Governmental Affairs & Communications

Join SE3 Labs as Head of Government Affairs & Communications

Shape how Europe's governments, parliaments and armed forces understand autonomy in defence, and build the function that earns SE3 their trust.

About SE3

SE3 Labs builds spatial intelligence and autonomy software for unmanned systems. We combine 3D computer vision, state estimation and AI to help autonomous platforms perceive their surroundings, know where they are and operate when GPS and other sensors become unreliable. Defence is a core application of our work today.

We are growing to a team of 100+ people. Join at a stage where you can shape our Government Affairs & Communications team, help build the team and grow your responsibilities as the company expands.

Our founding team's research has received more than 90,000 citations. You will work closely with technical founders and engineers with deep experience in computer vision and autonomous systems, turning that research depth into systems that work in the field.

About the Role

As Head of Government Affairs & Communications, you'll own and lead SE3's policy, public affairs and communications function. You'll set the strategy that shapes how governments, parliaments, armed forces and the press across Germany and Europe understand SE3, and build the team and relationships that turn that positioning into institutional trust and political standing. You'll work directly with our founders and act as one of the company's senior voices.

What You'll Work On

• Strategy: Own SE3's government affairs and communications strategy, setting priorities across policy, public affairs and press.
• Parliamentary Relations: Hold senior institutional relationships, in particular with the German parliament, and represent SE3 with governments and armed forces.
• Policy Positions: Shape SE3's positions on the security, procurement and regulatory questions that will define the operating environment for autonomous systems in Europe.
• Thought Leadership: Lead SE3's thought-leadership agenda so the company helps set the terms of the European debate on autonomy and AI in defence.
• Senior Engagements: Lead SE3's most significant political and press engagements as a senior voice of the company.
• Team Building: Build, lead and develop the government affairs and communications team as the function scales.

Your Profile

• You take ownership of outcomes and remove obstacles without waiting for direction. You turn discussions into clear decisions and decisions into deliverables, and you hold yourself and your team to a consistently high standard.
• You hold a degree in political science, international relations, security studies, communications, public policy or an adjacent discipline. A postgraduate qualification is welcome.
• You bring significant senior experience in government affairs, political or strategic communications, or in a ministry, parliament or comparable institution.
• You have built and led a function or team, and you have owned senior stakeholder relationships.
• You speak native-level German and have full professional fluency in English, written and spoken. Given the nature of SE3's work in the defence sector, candidates must be eligible to work on defence-related projects and, where required, obtain the relevant security clearance.

Especially Valued Bonus Skills

• An established network in the Bundestag, the Federal Ministry of Defence or European institutions.
• Experience in defence, security or technology policy.
• Experience representing a company in industry associations or at major security conferences.
• Crisis communications experience.

Perks & Benefits

• Real Ownership: Participate in SE3's growth through our employee participation programme
• Work Environment to Excel at: Find a high-quality and modern toolset, flat hierarchy and a skilled, driven team which will push the limits together with you
• AI-boosted workplace: We empower every employee with best-in-class AI tools and agents, giving you unlimited access to the latest advancements and a true productivity edge
• 31 Paid Days Off: 30 vacation days plus your birthday off
• Well-being Access: Free membership to gyms, yoga, and wellness through EGYM Wellpass
• Team Offsites: We go on 2 company retreats per year, our last ones were in Italy and Greece
• Mentorship: Work closely with experienced engineers and get paired with a professional mentor to support your growth

Our Process

1. Intro Call (30 min): Let's get to know each other.
2. Case Study (12hr): You'll be given a timed case study to work on.
3. Deep-Dive Interview (1:30 hr): We dive into how you build institutional relationships, lead a function and handle high-stakes political and press moments.
4. Team Dinner / Lunch: Meet the team and see whether it is a strong fit on both sides.