Director, Government Affairs

Interested candidates based outside of the designated areas are welcome to apply, provided they have the indefinite right to work in the job location. Cohesity is a leader in AI-powered data security and management. Aided by an extensive ecosystem of partners, Cohesity makes it easy to secure, protect, manage, and get value from data — across the data center, edge, and cloud. Cohesity helps organizations defend against cybersecurity threats with comprehensive data security and management capabilities, including immutable backup snapshots, AI-based threat detection, monitoring for malicious behavior, and rapid recovery at scale. We’ve been named a Leader by multiple analyst firms and have been globally recognized for Innovation, Product Strength, and Simplicity in Design. Join us on our mission to shape the future of our industry. The Government Affairs Director is a senior individual contributor responsible for leading Cohesity's federal public policy and advocacy strategy. Working together with the Global Head of Government Affairs, this role serves as a senior player of Cohesity's engagement with Congress, the executive branch, federal agencies, and key trade associations on issues of IT procurement, cybersecurity policy, and artificial intelligence governance. A self starter, the Director shapes long-term advocacy strategies, manages senior external relationships, drives direct sales-enablement outcomes through policy, and positions Cohesity as the go-to resource for data resilience in Washington. The Director will work in close partnership with Cohesity's federal sales team, legal and compliance functions, and executive leadership to convert policy engagement into market access and revenue growth. This role requires political acumen, fluency in federal IT procurement and cybersecurity policy and the ability to represent Cohesity at the highest levels of government and industry. HOW YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME HERE: Federal Advocacy & Congressional Engagement Develop and advance appropriations and NDAA legislative language that supports federal sales priorities, including data resilience, cyber modernization, and zero-trust architecture. Build and maintain senior-level relationships across key congressional committees: Armed Services, Appropriations, Homeland Security, Intelligence, Commerce, and the AI Caucus. Represent Cohesity in meetings with Members of Congress, staff, and key federal officials; prepare and support executive principals for high-profile Hill engagements and testimony opportunities. Monitor, analyze, and brief leadership on legislative and political developments with potential impact on Cohesity's business or regulatory environment. Executive Branch & Agency Engagement Provide early warning to legal, compliance, and engineering teams on emerging executive orders and agency rulemakings (e.g., cybersecurity EOs, AI procurement guidance, SBOM requirements, etc) Seek and secure opportunities for Cohesity executives to participate in agency advisory panels, OSTP working groups, and IT Security Cross-Community (IT-SCC) meetings. IT Procurement Policy Shape federal IT procurement policy and spending priorities on cyber resilience, data management, and AI-enabled security through direct engagement with OMB and congressional appropriators. Monitor and influence relevant legislation, appropriations riders, and FAR/DFAR rulemaking that affect federal IT and data security procurement decisions. Provide strategic counsel to sales leadership on legislative barriers to entry and policy levers available to drive government customer adoption. WE'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU IF YOU HAVE MANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 10+ years of experience in federal government affairs, congressional affairs, or public policy, including experience shaping and leading a federal advocacy agenda for a technology or enterprise software company Congressional experience strongly preferred. Prior role as a Hill staffer, committee staff, or in a federal agency with significant congressional interaction Deep working knowledge of the NDAA, the federal appropriations process, and the cybersecurity and data-security policy landscape, with the ability to set strategy and engage across the full legislative cycle Familiarity with federal technology procurement, cybersecurity, data protection and cyber resilience, IT modernization, zero trust, and AI policy, and the legislative and regulatory vehicles that drive them Cross-industry experience a strong plus,  candidates who have navigated the federal landscape across technology, data security, defense, or adjacent sectors will stand out Established relationships with staff across relevant committees and agencies, including Armed Services, Appropriations, Homeland Security, and Oversight and Government Affairs is a strong plus Strong bipartisan political instincts and situational awareness. Candidates should be able to identify moments of leverage, shape policy positions, and flag risks early Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable advising executives and drafting materials for C-suite and board audiences Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to lead cross-functional initiatives and manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment Demonstrated ability to leverage AI tools to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and support decision making. #LI-VM1 ​ Disclosure Pursuant to Applicable State Equal Pay Transparency Laws - This position has a starting pay range as listed below. Actual salary depends upon many factors, including a candidate’s skills, qualifications and experience, location, and salary expectations, and therefore a starting salary at the low end, high end, or even above the stated range may be offered. This position may also be eligible for bonus compensation, commission (if in a sales function), and/or equity grants. Additionally, full-time employees are eligible to participate in our comprehensive benefits framework, including health and wellness benefits, vacation, paid holidays and refresh days, 401(k) retirement plan, life and disability insurance coverages, and other benefits the Company may offer from time to time. Pay Range : $172,800.00-$216,000.00 The compensation noted above is based on an annualized hourly rate assuming normal full-time employment. Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates: For information on personal data processing, please see our Privacy Policy. Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEOE) Cohesity is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or nationality, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status or any other category protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact us at 1-855-9COHESITY or recruiting@cohesity.com for assistance. In-Office Expectations Cohesity employees who are within a reasonable commute (e.g. within a forty-five (45) minute average travel time) work out of our core offices 2-3 days a week of their choosing. Interested candidates based outside of the designated areas are welcome to apply, provided they have the right to work in the job location.