Director of Government Affairs and Regulation

The Task At Hand

Shape the rules. Unlock new markets. Drive the future of THC beverages.

JuneShine Brands is building an innovative social tonic platform, with Willie’s Remedy+ leading the next wave of THC beverages. As one of the fastest-growing brands in the category, we’re entering a critical growth phase where advocacy leadership and regulatory influence will define who wins.

As the Director of Government Affairs and Regulation, you’ll lead our efforts to shape the hemp beverage regulatory landscape—building relationships with policymakers, advancing industry positions, and turning regulatory uncertainty into competitive advantage. This is a high-impact, externally facing role reporting to the CFO and working closely with the CEO, Board, and industry partners to advance advocacy efforts and unlock scalable growth.

If you thrive in ambiguity, enjoy shaping emerging policy, and have a track record of winning advocacy battles in hemp, cannabis, or alcohol—this role is for you.

Who You Are

• Government affairs leader with proven experience influencing hemp, cannabis, or alcohol regulations at the state level.
• Strategic relationship builder with regulators, legislators, and industry coalitions.
• Deep understanding of hemp/cannabis beverage policy with a business-first, advocacy-driven mindset.
• Entrepreneurial operator comfortable navigating political dynamics in fast-moving environments.

What You’ll Do

Lead Government Affairs & Advocacy

• Shape policy outcomes: Proactively influence state and federal hemp beverage regulations before they’re finalized—focusing on packaging standards, DTC frameworks, and market access.
• Drive advocacy campaigns: Represent Willie’s in state-level advocacy, industry coalitions, trade associations, and regulatory working groups.
• Build strategic relationships: Cultivate relationships with state regulators, policymakers, legislative staff, and key stakeholders.
• Develop policy positions: Create regulatory comments, white papers, testimony, and advocacy materials that influence outcomes in priority markets.
• Monitor and analyze: Track legislative and regulatory developments across priority states and advise leadership on strategic response—anticipating shifts, not just reporting them.
• Maintain industry presence: Actively participate in trade associations, industry events, and coalitions to stay ahead of political and commercial trends.

Enable Market Growth & Strategic Guidance

• Serve as internal expert on state hemp beverage frameworks across active and expansion markets.
• Guide market prioritization and entry strategies based on regulatory feasibility and advocacy opportunities.
• Partner with product, marketing, legal, and sales teams to integrate regulatory insight into GTM strategy and commercial decisions.
• Provide strategic direction to the compliance function to ensure execution aligns with markets you’re opening.

Must Haves

• 21 years of age or older at the time of application.
• 5-8 years of government affairs or regulatory advocacy experience in hemp, cannabis, alcohol, or highly regulated CPG.
• Strong understanding of state hemp beverage policy landscape and emerging regulatory trends, including market access and packaging considerations.
• Proven track record of influencing state-level regulations or legislation across multiple states.
• Experience advising executive leadership and integrating regulatory insight into business strategy.
• Comfortable making strategic recommendations and pushing back with hard truths when needed.
• Ability to support key markets (preference for CA, TX, or DC) and travel as needed.

Nice to Haves

• Existing relationships with state regulators, legislators, or industry advocacy organizations (NCIA, HIA, NBWA, WSWA, DISCUS, Beer Institute).
• Experience working at or with alcohol or hemp trade associations.
• Experience with industry coalitions on multi-state policy campaigns.
• JD or formal legal/policy training.
• Familiarity with FDA, TTB, USDA, or state beverage control agencies.
• Background building government affairs functions in high-growth companies.

Compensation, Perks + Benefits

Compensation:

• $150,000 – $160,000 per year
• The final offer will be based on several factors, including experience, skills, and overall expertise.
• Equity Eligible

Perks + Benefits:

• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• Healthcare coverage: up to 90% company contribution for employees and 25% for dependents.
• Voluntary vision, dental, and accidental plans; 401(k) with up to 4% company match.
• 12 weeks of paid Equal Parental Leave, $500 Baby Bonding Bucks, and a sustainable baby gift.
• Booch, spirit, beer, and soft good perks.

Who We Are

Our Purpose: To make quality, purpose-driven beverages.

Our Business: Our vision is to create the next-generation beverage platform, comprising distinct brands, each with its own ethos and purpose. Disrupting this industry is a worthy and massive opportunity.

Our Culture: Our core values are Quality, Transparency, and Team-First. We derive much of our management policy from ‘Let My People Go Surfing’ by Yvon Chouinard. We hire unique individuals with a combination of self-motivation, self-discipline, and energy.

JuneShine Brands is a purpose-driven organization committed to fostering an inclusive environment. We seek to hire self-motivated, independent thinkers who embrace challenging the status quo. Join us at JuneShine Brands where you’re encouraged to bring your authentic self to your craft every day.

You must reside in the United States to be considered for this position. This role supports multiple beverage brands within the JuneShine Brands portfolio, including alcohol and hemp-derived THC beverages. All Juneshine Brands products are intended for adults 21+.

©2025 Juneshine Brands | www.juneshine.com | www.drinkwillies.com | www.flyingembers.com

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

Apply here