Senior Public Policy and Government Affairs Manager

Who we are

Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing — and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.

Working at Samsara means you’ll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that’s shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, and Equipment Monitoring. As part of a recently public company, you’ll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.

About the role:

Samsara's Public Policy and Government Affairs team is looking for a Senior Public Policy & Government Affairs Manager to expand our work on Capitol Hill and beyond to help develop and drive new tailwind opportunities to support Samsara’s Public Sector business. This is a senior, highly cross-functional role for someone with a track record of moving concepts to reality, building coalitions, and navigating the authorizing and appropriations process to drive powerful programmatic and funding opportunities to enable U.S. cities, states, and the Federal Government to adopt technologies that improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of their operations. 

This person will represent Samsara directly before Congress, and will work closely with our Public Sector Sales team to identify and generate opportunities.  This role will also work closely with outside consultants – developing, prioritizing, and actioning campaigns – and will be looked to as an expert in the field. 

This role is based in Washington, D.C. and reports to the Head of Global Public Policy & Government Affairs.

You should apply if:

• You want to impact the industries that run our world: Your efforts will result in real-world impact—helping to keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, reduce emissions, and most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
• You are the architect of your own career: If you put in the work, this role won't be your last at Samsara. We set up our employees for success and have built a culture that encourages rapid career development and opportunities to experiment and master your craft in a hyper growth environment.
• You're energized by our opportunity: The vision we have to digitize large sectors of the global economy requires your full focus and best efforts to bring forth creative, ambitious ideas for our customers.
• You want to be with the best: At Samsara, we win together, celebrate together and support each other. You will be surrounded by a high-caliber team that will encourage you to do your best.

In this role, you will:

• Represent Samsara directly before Congress, building and maintaining relationships with members, committee staff (particularly on appropriations and authorizing committees), and select federal agency officials.
• Be proactive. Identify and generate new funding or programmatic opportunities — formula funding, grant programs, appropriations language, and other mechanisms — that Public Sector Sales can sell into at the local, state, and federal level. 
• Build and maintain a living, prioritized opportunities list, bringing clear, well-reasoned recommendations on where to focus — grounded in market opportunity, feasibility, timing, and cost to pursue.
• Partner closely with Public Sector Sales on an ongoing basis, providing critical intelligence into legislative and funding developments, and translating that information into concrete input for their pipeline and go-to-market strategy.
• Stay ahead of developments across Congress, agencies, and target states, and use that intelligence to help shape Samsara's broader policy strategy and priorities.
• Manage outside consultants by, among other things, participate in their strategy calls, critically evaluate their proposals and recommendations, and hold them to a high bar.
• Draft and help advance legislative language, funding tasks, letters, testimony, and other materials in support of Samsara's government affairs priorities.
• Collaboration with Legal, Marketing, and Product to ensure our government affairs work reflects an accurate and compelling picture of Samsara's technology and roadmap, and that our advocacy is in-line with the direction of the business.

Minimum requirements for the role:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in public policy, government affairs, or government, with a strong preference for appropriations-focused experience — for example, on Capitol Hill (personal office, leadership office, or committee staff) or at a federal agency.
• In-house government affairs experience at a company, ideally working in direct, sustained coordination with a sales, GTM, or revenue organization.
• Deep, first-hand understanding of the federal appropriations and budget process, and demonstrated experience translating that process into concrete funding outcomes.
• A track record of proactively generating opportunities, not just monitoring or reacting to a legislative calendar.
• Established relationships with congressional offices, committee staff, and/or federal agency officials relevant to transportation, infrastructure, or technology funding.
• Demonstrated judgment in evaluating policy or funding opportunities — able to build a rigorous case for why something is or isn't worth pursuing, not just identify that it exists.
• Experience working with outside consultants, including the ability to critically assess their strategy and pitches.
• Skilled at persuasively and diplomatically advocating complex policy positions before a wide variety of audiences.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to concisely summarize policy issues and advocacy points for both government and internal business audiences.
• Experience managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously in a fast-moving, dynamic environment.

An ideal candidate also has:

• Experience with DOT, surface transportation, infrastructure, or public safety funding programs, or with technology procurement processes at the state or local level.
• The ability to translate government-to-business and business-to-government issues fluently in both directions.
• The ability to issue-spot, identifying potential opportunities for sales enablement and challenges before they materialize.
• Familiarity with the physical operations, transportation, or public sector technology landscape.

The range of annual base salary for full-time employees for this position is below. Please note that base pay offered may vary depending on factors including your city of residence, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This role is also eligible for an initial RSU grant with no vesting cliff, and ongoing refresh opportunities tied to performance, subject to plan terms and conditions. Learn more about our total rewards and benefits below.

Total Rewards

At Samsara, we build for the people who keep the global economy moving. We want owners, not passengers, which is why our rewards are designed to fuel high-impact builders. Our compensation program delivers above-market total compensation through a combination of base salary, performance-based bonus/variable pay, and equity (for eligible roles) in a high-growth public company. We meaningfully differentiate pay for our top performers, who have the opportunity to earn above-market compensation that can outpace the broader market over time.

Beyond compensation, we provide the foundations that enable long-term success: a flexible, employee-led remote model, a professional development stipend, comprehensive health and parental leave plans, and more. If you’re ready to build for the long term and own the outcome, your journey starts here.

Flexible Working 

At Samsara, we embrace a flexible working model that caters to the diverse needs of our teams. Our offices are open for those who prefer to work in-person and we also support remote work where it aligns with our operational requirements. For certain positions, being close to one of our offices or within a specific geographic area is important to facilitate collaboration, access to resources, or alignment with our service regions. In these cases, the job description will clearly indicate any working location requirements. Our goal is to ensure that all members of our team can contribute effectively, whether they are working on-site, in a hybrid model, or fully remotely. All offers of employment are contingent upon an individual’s ability to secure and maintain the legal right to work at the company and in the specified work location, if applicable.

Belonging at Samsara

At Samsara, we welcome everyone regardless of their background. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, and other characteristics protected by law. We depend on the unique approaches of our team members to help us solve complex problems and want to ensure that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact.

Accommodations 

Samsara is an inclusive work environment, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunity in employment for qualified persons with disabilities. Please email accessibleinterviewing@samsara.com or click here if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruiting process.

Our Commitment to Authenticity

We use Tofu, a fraud detection tool, to validate the authenticity of applications and protect against identity fraud. This ensures we are connecting with real people and allows us to prioritize genuine candidates. Please see Samsara’s Candidate Privacy Notice for more information.

Fraudulent Employment Offers

Samsara is aware of scams involving fake job interviews and offers. Please know we do not charge fees to applicants at any stage of the hiring process. Official communication about your application will only come from emails ending in @samsara.com, @us-greenhouse-mail.io or @mail3.guide.co. For more information regarding fraudulent employment offers, please visit our blog post here.