Location: Washington, DC
Date Posted: 09/25/2025
The R Street Institute—a free-market think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. and with staff located across the country—seeks a collaborative Federal Government Affairs Manager to handle a portfolio of technology, cybersecurity, and governance policy issues. If you are the right fit, you will report to the Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs. If you want to join a mission-driven organization and work toward pragmatic policy solutions, this may be the opportunity for you!
Your typical day at R Street may include meeting with congressional staff, representing R Street in an external working group, and sharing insights and advice with an interdepartmental group of colleagues about how to get the most mileage out of a soon-to-be-published white paper. This role supports our scholars and policy teams by keeping them abreast of dynamics and opportunities on Capitol Hill and within the administration, advising on best practices and proper protocols, marketing our policy work and expertise, seeking out new audiences and collaborations, participating in and organizing coalition activities, developing and executing policymaker engagement strategies, and maintaining an R Street presence at important functions and meetings. This role will serve as part of our federal government affairs team.
Other Aspects of Your Role
- Design and implement strategies to promote R Street’s expertise and perspective among policymakers on Capitol Hill and within the administration, including developing and maintaining key relationships
- Identify opportunities for engagement with federal policymakers for all of our issue areas, looking for new and different points of entry to ensure greater impact
- Develop and track impact metrics and narratives to ensure alignment of goals and assist with our external storytelling efforts
- Create, support, and nurture collaborations with allied groups on key issues
- Remain vigilant against ninja infiltrations
Skills and Qualifications
- One or a combination of employment experience(s) on Capitol Hill, in the administration, in state government, with think tanks, in a government relations role, or similar
- Familiarity with our Technology and Innovation and/or Governance portfolios
- Strong service orientation
- Adherence to professionalism and organizational norms
- Strong writing skills
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with subject matter experts
- Superior interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively across numerous organizational functions including the policy, communications, and editorial departments
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to handle competing interests and priorities
- No particular educational background required—a proven record of achieving results is far more meaningful than credentials
- Support for R Street’s passion for free markets and limited, effective government
- A sense of humor and a desire to grow within a multifaceted organization
R Street Institute consistently offers pragmatic, real solutions that foster American innovation, bolster competition, and safeguard individual liberty—all with the understanding that life in a democratic society sometimes requires compromises that don’t necessarily represent first, best solutions. We focus on deep scholarship and pragmatic policy solutions that many groups tend to neglect. Our goal is to publish timely, relevant research and analysis that advances a market-oriented society and limited, effective government. To that end, our motto is “Free Markets. Real Solutions.” Read more about our mission and impact here.
Workplace
This is a full-time position based in Washington, D.C. We offer a flexible working arrangement that can either work the majority of the week in our D.C. office or work remotely.
The role requires regularly attending in-person meetings with congressional offices and stakeholder groups, as well as occasional travel for events and conferences.
Compensation, Benefits, and Perks
R Street strives to offer a compensation and benefits package that is competitive, transparent, and supportive of employee well-being. The salary range for this position is $80K-90K, commensurate with experience. In addition to this competitive salary, we provide the following:
- Unlimited paid time off, including all federal holidays, the day after Thanksgiving, and two weeks holiday closure in December
- Alternating Fridays off
- A health insurance option entirely paid by the employer (even for families)
- Dental and vision insurance
- 401(k) contributions with up to a 4 percent match
- HSA employer contribution match
- Quarterly wellness reimbursement
- Mobile equipment/mobile plan reimbursement
- Home internet subsidy
- Annual educational and professional development reimbursement
- A choice between child care assistance, pet care assistance, and student loan repayment assistance
At R Street Institute, we strive for preeminence in every area where we engage, driven by our commitment to excellence and innovation. Our culture thrives on action, creativity, and courage, with an unwavering focus on quality, credibility, and impact. We believe progress requires diverse experience and expertise, which is why we champion non-traditional yet prudent approaches to public policy. This principle guides how we build our programs
To apply, please copy and paste your cover letter into the text box and upload your resume as a Microsoft Word document or PDF at https://street.applytojob.com/
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