Government Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

At Mace, our purpose is to redefine the boundaries of ambition. We believe in creating places that are responsible, bringing transformative impact to our people, communities, and societies across the globe. To learn more about our purpose, culture, and priorities, visit our strategy site.

Within our consult business we harness our unique combination of leading-edge practical expertise and project deliveryconsultancy to unlock the potential in every project.  

The Project: 

The operator of a major international airport is considering a further update to expand the main terminal, reconfigure concourses and phase out legacy passenger transport systems. 

Shared with airline stakeholders earlier this year, the proposed programme is estimated at c.$22 billion, with completion targeted in the mid-2030s, forming part of a wider transformation to support significant long-term passenger growth. 

By comparison, the existing master plan approved in 2025 outlined c.$7 billion of phased capital investment, aligned to projections of up to 90 million annual passengers by the end of the century.

The role:The Government Relations Lead is responsible for establishing, managing, and leading strategic engagement with government entities, regulatory bodies, and public-sector stakeholders. The role ensures alignment between programme objectives and public policy, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder expectations.

Our values shape the way we consult, and define the people we want to join us on our journey, they are:

• Safety first - Going home safe and well
  - Ensure that analytical outputs consider safety-related data, trends, and performance indicators.
  - Support identification of risks or trends that may impact safe delivery outcomes.
  - Promote the use of data to inform proactive safety decision-making.

• Client focus - Deliver on our promise
  - Provide structured analytical support to inform client decision-making and programme performance.
  - Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and analysis that provide clear visibility into delivery status.
  - Support alignment between programme performance and strategic objectives.
  - Translate complex data into clear, concise, and actionable insights for stakeholders.

• Integrity - Always do the right thing
  - Ensure data integrity, accuracy, and consistency across all analytical outputs.
  - Conduct structured business analysis, including performance reviews, gap analysis, and trend identification. 
  - Support development of management-level reporting, including KPIs and performance metrics. 
  - Provide transparent, auditable analysis to support governance and decision-making processes.
  - Identify risks, issues, and opportunities through structured analytical techniques.

• Create opportunity for our people to excel
  - Promote a data-driven culture across teams and stakeholders.
  - Support capability development in analytics, reporting, and business intelligence.
  - Encourage innovation in analytical tools, methods, and reporting approaches.
  - Share insights and best practices across the programme and organisation.

You'll Be Responsible For: 

•  Develop and implement a comprehensive government relations and stakeholder engagement strategy.

• Act as the primary point of contact for government entities, regulatory agencies, and public-sector stakeholders.

• Coordinate and manage stakeholder engagement activities, including briefings, meetings, and reporting.

• Provide strategic advice on policy, regulatory requirements, and approvals processes.

• Support the identification and mitigation of stakeholder and regulatory risks.

• Monitor changes in policy, legislation, and regulatory frameworks and assess implications for delivery.

• Facilitate alignment between programme delivery plans and government priorities.

• Support issue management and resolution through structured engagement and escalation.

• Contribute to governance reporting, including stakeholder and regulatory updates.

• Interface with programme leadership, commercial, legal, and communications teams.

You'll need to have:

• Demonstrated experience in government relations, public affairs, or stakeholder management within infrastructure or major programmes.

• Strong understanding of public-sector governance, regulatory frameworks, and approvals processes.

• Experience engaging with government agencies, regulators, and public-sector decision-makers.

• Ability to manage complex stakeholder environments and competing interests.

• Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.

• Expertise in government relations strategy, stakeholder engagement, regulatory compliance, and issue resolution; strong capability in policy advisory, strategic communications, relationship management, and risk mitigation in public-sector environments.

• Strategic, politically astute and solutions oriented mindset

• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills

• Professional background in public policy, communications, law or related discipline desirable. 
  Note: The estimated starting salary for this position is $150k. Starting salary may vary based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as experience, skills and qualifications.

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfil all of the criteria, please apply as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organization.  

We are also open to discussing part time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable with-in the role.