Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.
Saronic is establishing a long-term presence in the UK and Europe to support the delivery of next-generation autonomous maritime capability, sovereign industrial capacity, and defence innovation. As part of this expansion, Saronic is seeking a Director, Government & Strategic Affairs to help shape the political, regulatory, and strategic environment required to accelerate maritime autonomy adoption in the UK and support Saronic’s broader European growth strategy.
Reporting to the UK & Europe Lead, the Director, Government & Strategic Affairs (UK & Europe) will represent Saronic’s interests before His Majesty’s Government, Parliament, the Ministry of Defence, trade bodies, regulators, and other key stakeholders. The role will be central to supporting Saronic’s UK growth strategy while helping coordinate government engagement and strategic affairs activity across select European markets.
Supporting Saronic’s positioning within UK defence, industrial, regulatory, and innovation strategies, including engagement across MOD, Royal Navy, DE&S, Dstl, DfT, DBT, Treasury, Cabinet Office, and associated stakeholders.
Leading engagement on regulatory, legislative, and policy matters related to maritime autonomy, defence innovation, and sovereign capability development.
Identifying, shaping, and supporting strategic opportunities that enable Saronic to win, maintain, and grow business across defence and adjacent sectors.
Providing political, regulatory, and strategic advice to senior leadership to inform business planning, market strategy, and investment decisions.
Supporting company executives in their engagement, profile building, and relationship management with Government, Parliament, military leadership, and industry stakeholders.
Representing the company before government officials, parliamentarians, industry bodies, regulators, academic institutions, and strategic partners.
Working closely with Growth, Legal, Corporate Development, Communications, Mission Operations, Engineering, and external advisers to align political engagement with broader business priorities.
Supporting the development and coordination of government relations strategies across select European markets, including management of external advisers, consultancies, and strategic stakeholder engagement efforts.
This role will work closely with colleagues across Growth and associated business lines while serving as the lead for UK government and strategic affairs activity and supporting the coordination of strategic engagement efforts across Europe.
Proven experience in government affairs, public policy, defence strategy, public affairs, or related fields.
Established networks across UK Government, Parliament, Defence, national security, and associated industry stakeholders.
Strong understanding of UK Government decision-making, defence procurement, industrial policy, and legislative processes.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality briefing materials, policy papers, and executive-level communications.
Experience within the defence, maritime, aerospace, autonomy, AI, dual-use technology, or national security sectors.
Experience engaging with organisations such as MOD, Royal Navy, DE&S, Dstl, DfT, NSO, DBT, Treasury, Cabinet Office, NATO, or AUKUS-related stakeholders.
You should be comfortable operating at the intersection of policy, technology, defence capability, and commercial strategy. This role requires initiative, strong judgement, excellent relationship management skills, and the ability to translate complex political and regulatory environments into actionable business outcomes. You will join a fast-moving team working to redefine maritime capability through autonomy, advanced manufacturing, and scalable technology.
Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success
Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses
Medical Insurance: Comprehensive private health insurance
Time Off: Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays
Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents
This role requires the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Employment may also be subject to applicable security, export control, and government contracting requirements.
If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
