JOB TITLE: Strategy & Policy Associate

DEPARTMENT: Strategy & Policy

STATUS: Exempt

REPORTS TO: Senior Director, Strategy & Policy

SALARY: $60,000

BONUS: 5% Annual Bonus, President’s Bonus, Annual COLA

DATE: March 2026

Request: Please include Resume and Cover Letter.

Who We Are

NDIA, comprised of its Affiliates, Chapters, Divisions, and more than 1,600 corporate and 65,000 individual members, is a nonpartisan educational association that has been designated by the IRS as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization—not a lobbying firm—and was founded to educate its constituencies on all aspects of national security. For more than 100 years, NDIA has provided a platform through which leaders in government, industry, and academia can collaborate and provide solutions to advance the national security and defense needs of the nation.

NDIA works to strengthen government-industry partnerships through dialogue, education, and interaction with all three branches of government. Through the Strategy & Policy (S&P) Team, NDIA educates its members on legislative and regulatory activity important to the defense industrial base. NDIA also actively participates in several industry working groups and coalitions to coordinate the defense and government contracting communities' positions on important issues.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director, S&P, the Strategy & Policy Associate supports priority legislative and regulatory policy activities, internal cross-functional strategic initiatives, and external engagements with industry and government through research insights, quality written products, and stakeholder coordination. This includes supporting the Strategy & Policy Team on various aspects of defense industrial base strategic and policy priorities, coordinating with NDIA member Divisions, Chapters, and policy working groups, preparing and disseminating initial drafts of documents, preparing readouts and briefs for NDIA leadership, and supporting both virtual and in-person NDIA events. This position routinely engages at the highest levels of industry, the U.S. government, and outside stakeholders and provides an opportunity to work with an experienced and dedicated team to strengthen public and private partnerships in support of national security.

Legislative and Regulatory Affairs (50%)

Track, understand, and summarize provisions in relevant legislation, regulation, and strategy documents that impact NDIA and the defense industrial base.
Author original articles on a rotating basis for National Defense magazine’s “Policy Points” column.
Work with Strategy & Policy team members to draft and distribute policy position documents to relevant Members of Congress and other stakeholders on NDIA’s legislative priorities.
Coordinate with NDIA’s membership to draft and submit comments for proposed government regulations.

Strategic Initiatives (25%)

Contribute to NDIA’s thought leadership by researching and writing products that form the foundation of the Association’s priorities, policy positions, and public messaging.
Identify opportunities to bolster the policy work and public profile of NDIA stakeholders.

Member Engagement (15%)

Closely collaborate with internal stakeholders to provide policy support to NDIA Chapters, Divisions, committees, and policy working groups, including preparing position or information papers for government and public audiences.
Attend and support virtual and in-person NDIA meetings and conferences in the Washington, D.C. area.
Assist with member-driven policy working groups led by the Strategy & Policy Team.

Administrative Support (10%)

Provide technical support for small-scale NDIA meetings and events.
Prepare binders and other briefing materials for NDIA senior leadership to support internal and external meetings and events.
Support weekly S&P newsletter and other policy products.
Contribute to improving internal processes.

ADA SPECIFICATIONS

This position involves moderate travel of up to a week to 10 days duration, and ability to work from off-site. Must be able to travel locally to meetings and to events. This is an office position and may require some bending and lifting and requires the use of a computer and office machines.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s degree required.
1+ years in a relevant role, including internship experience, volunteer experience, or equivalent military time in service preferred.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, with strong written and oral communication, administrative, and organizational skills.
Ability to work closely with staff across all levels of the organization, with all levels of leadership, and within a diverse organization.
Ability to take initiative and work independently on projects, from conception to completion, with little oversight.
Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism, maturity, and trust.
Ability to multi-task, think critically, and problem solve individually and as part of a team.
Knowledge of policymaking processes preferred.
Understanding and experience within the Microsoft Office environment.

National Defense Industrial Association - (NDIA)

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