Head of Government Relations

## About Solcoa

Solcoa is rebuilding Western metallization from the ground up, starting with rare earths.

For thirty years, China has owned the rare earth value chain — not because of geology, but because of chemistry. The processes that turn ore and scrap into separated rare earth metals were industrialized in China, and the West, for the most part, has tried to win by copying them. We don’t think that works. The path back runs through invention, not imitation — the same path Charles Hall took in 1886 when he invented the electrolytic process that broke the European aluminum monopoly and built Alcoa.

We produce NdPr and DyTb metal alloys at >99.5% TREM purity using a proprietary pyrometallurgical process. We feed end-of-life NdFeB magnets, manufacturing swarf, and oxide feedstocks directly into metal, with an already China-competitive cost structure. We operate a 31,000 sq ft pilot facility in Alameda, California.

## Why this role, and why now

The policy moment for this company is the largest one in a generation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act put roughly $8 billion of capital behind the U.S. critical minerals industrial base — $5B of the new Industrial Base Fund carved out for critical minerals, $2B for the National Defense Stockpile, $500M of OSC credit subsidy translating into billions of loan authority, and $1B of fresh DPA Title III appropriation through FY2027. DFARS 252.225-7052 takes effect on January 1, 2027, banning Chinese rare earth magnets from the U.S. defense supply chain.

Solcoa has to win in this environment. We’re hiring a Head of Government Relations to make sure we do. This person will own our entire government-facing surface area, and will report directly to the CEO.

## What you’ll do

– **Own Solcoa’s federal strategy** end-to-end — across the executive branch, the Hill, and the agencies that matter most to the critical minerals industrial base.
– **Build and maintain relationships** with the policymakers, staffers, and operators whose decisions shape our market.
– **Pursue and structure financing** and procurement opportunities as they emerge.
– **Track and shape policy** — China export controls, allied-sourcing frameworks, defense supply chain rules — and translate it into commercial advantage for Solcoa.
– **Engage at the state level** where it matters, including California.
– **Work with BD and lobbying** to turn policy momentum into customer wins.

## Who you are

We’re looking for someone early-to-mid career who has already done real work in this space and is ready to own a function. Specifically:

– **5–10 years experience** in federal policy, lobbying, or government — some combination of executive branch (DoD, DOE, Commerce, USTR, NSC, NEC), the Hill (SASC, HASC, ENR, Natural Resources, Select Committee on China), a top think tank (CSIS, CNAS, SAFE), or a critical-minerals-focused government affairs practice.
– **Real working knowledge** of DPA Title III, the OSC, DFARS, and how DoD writes critical-minerals contracts.
– **The instinct of a founder**, not a staffer.
– **A strong point of view** on China, critical minerals, and the defense industrial base you can defend.
– **D.C.-based**, with willingness to travel to our Alameda facility at least monthly.

## What we offer

– **Competitive base salary**
– **Meaningful equity package**
– **Comprehensive health benefits**
– **Relocation support**
– **Access to a DC office**
– **Visa sponsorship** available if needed.

Apply here